Women players may face many health problems
What challenges do female athletes face every day?
1) Gender Equality: This problem is not new today. Over the years, many sports have been presented in such a way that they apply exclusively to men. Like football, ice hockey etc. On the other hand, sports such as gymnastics and figure skating are branded as feminine. As a result, these barriers naturally become more difficult to break.
2) Sexuality: Women are always judged more for their aesthetics than their potential and talent. Women who are larger in appearance, and who have more muscles, are said to be ‘masculine’.
3) Concepts about the body: Some sports, where more attention is paid to aesthetics, there is a general pressure on the body. In other words, body shape, weight – more or less important in all sports. But sports such as gymnastics or figure skating have subjective scoring. As a result, in those cases, women are more likely than men to worry about their bodies.
4) Hormonal problems: During adolescence and during menstruation, hormonal changes occur in girls due to physical reasons. This results in general weight gain, mood swings, and an increased risk of injury. As a result, there is no way to avoid this hormonal problem.
How to tackle this problem?
Problems are never the last word. If there is a problem, there must be a solution. Dietitian Shweta Bhatia therefore throws light on all the aspects that will help women athletes overcome this problem. He basically split the solution into two parts. He talked about taking care of physical and mental health. Let’s look at it one by one.
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a) Physical Fitness:
1) Female players can have various physical health problems. Excessive exercise for the sake of the profession sometimes pushes him to the edge of the abyss. Abuse of anabolic steroids and supplements can also be a factor. Many are seen using diuretics or fat burners.
2) Again, various irregularities can push female athletes to the Female Athlete Triad or FAT. There are three interrelated problems: low calorie intake, osteoporosis and amenorrhea (absence of normal menstruation). These issues can cause long-term problems for girls.
3) For RWL or rapid weight loss, many people choose various sports such as weightlifting, wrestling, martial arts or boxing. In such a situation, doing these things under the supervision of an expert trainer reduces the risk to the body.
4) Apart from strenuous exercise or physical exercise, proper diet is also very important. Eat a balanced diet every day so that the body has enough calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
5) Carbohydrates: Depending on whether athletes need to lose or gain weight, the amount depends on who consumes how much carbohydrate. Healthy carbohydrates are found in lentils, vegetables, nuts and dairy foods.
8) Protein: About 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg of body weight is required per day. That is, if a person’s weight is 80 kg, then he should consume at least 96 grams to 120 grams of protein. Egg, milk, meat, whey protein supplements can be used to meet the demand for this protein.
6) Fats: Fats should be consumed which are healthy. Can be cooked in olive oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil. Healthy fats also come from nuts, seeds, avocados and fish. At least 30 percent of your calories should come from these fats.
6) Why is it better to eat protein and fat instead of extra carbohydrates? As a result, healthy weight loss occurs, belly fat is reduced, blood sugar levels are maintained and lipid profiles are improved.
9) Women athletes, especially vegetarians, are at high risk of iron, calcium, B vitamins and zinc deficiencies. Hence the need for micronutrients is increasing.
10) Iron deficiency is most commonly seen when there is a problem of periods. Blood levels should be checked and iron supplements should be taken if necessary.
11) Adequate fluid intake of at least 2.2 liters per day for women aged 19 to 30. Do not reduce the amount of water. Because they have a tendency to sweat excessively due to professional reasons. Apart from this, it is also important to pay attention to the amount of sodium, potassium and magnesium in the body.
a) Mental Health:
If players have an eating disorder, it is called anorexia athletica. Following a strict diet and rules can at times lead to stress. Along with this comes the pressure of performance. However, if the problem escalates, it is necessary to seek the opinion of a clinical psychologist. In fact, it should not be forgotten that if the mind is good then the world can be conquered.
This applies not only to professional female players who are now considering taking up the sport as a profession, but to all of them as well.