The United World Wrestling (UWW) has issued a set of guidelines for resuming training for wrestlers and coaches. Its Commission on Medicine, Prevention and Anti-Doping, in conjunction with the Science Commission has developed a Standard of Procedure (SOP) for the wrestling fraternity as the world restarts training for Tokyo Olympics amid covid-19. The manual has been compiled based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and is intended for the safety and recovery of wrestling activity. This guide is recommended as a reference sheet and is in addition to all health requirements that are prescribed by government agencies and doctors, reported Wrestrus.RU.
General Precautions
– Continue to follow and comply with all orders and guidelines issued by your government authorities.
– Stay up to date with the latest information from trusted sources such as WHO or your local and national health authorities.
– Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly with alcohol-based products, or wash them frequently with soap and water.
– Avoid crowded places unless necessary. If possible, keep a distance of at least 2 meters between you and others.
– Avoid shaking hands, hugs, and unnecessary physical contact.
– Wear a mask and proper protective equipment (personal protective equipment).
– Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
– Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then discard the used cloth immediately and wash your hands.
– If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but call ahead of time, if possible, and follow the directions from local health authorities
– Any increase in symptoms or difficulty breathing requires daily heart rate, beats heart rate per minute when you wake up before starting any activity is a good way to check your body and will be a warning sign of potential infection. A sudden increase in heart rate can be an early indicator of a possible infection at an early stage, even before the onset of clinical symptoms.
– Strengthen your immune system with proper nutrition and avoid overtraining. Immunity deficiency increases the risk of catching a viral infection.
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Advice for wrestlers
In addition to the measures imposed by government agencies on physical fitness and training centres, and the measures described above, the following recommendations should be followed specifically for wrestling:
– Where possible, prioritize training outdoors.
– Whenever possible, fight on the mat with only the same sparring partner until further instructions are given.
– Take a shower before and after every workout, always with shampoo and soap.
– Carpets:
? Clean your wrestlers before stepping onto the carpet. Observe this rule strictly during a pandemic.
? Make sure carpets are regularly disinfected.
– Equipment:
? Disinfect mannequins, ropes and elastic bands and other power and conditioning equipment.
? Each athlete is responsible for disinfecting training equipment after use.
? Only one athlete must use one special equipment at a time.
– Access to the availability of fitness and training equipment can be reduced so that regular disinfection can be more easily monitored.
– Unnecessary rooms or public places should be closed to avoid crowding.
– Clearly separate and identify your personal belongings (water bottles, snacks, towels, etc.).
– You need to keep track of all users of your training facilities on a daily basis.
– Be alert to any fever, cough, or breathing difficulties and increased heart rate. Measure your temperature and heart rate (at least 2 times a day, but not immediately after exercising to avoid “false heat”) and record your temperature and heart rate (resting heart rate).
? Any sudden rise in body temperature with regular measurement or heart rate should be considered a serious manifestation in the body.
Resume Training Tip – Resume Training: Should begin with a thorough preparation phase of sufficient duration. The focus should first be on general training activities of an acceptable level of volume, with a gradual increase in specific training at a higher intensity.
? Excessive training volume, lack of consistency and spontaneous increase in training intensity can negatively affect the assimilation ability of the wrestler and can lead to overuse injury.
– The recommended time period for returning to a full workout without high risk is estimated to be 3-5 weeks.
– When planning your training, you need to set specific, external, long-term goals (participation in the World Cup), and short-term, internal goals (to increase muscle power, improve body composition or hone new techniques.
– Stick to your training plan for the next competition. Train as competitions, which can still be held.
Tips Coaches
– Observe all hygiene protocols and regularly repeat instructions Encourage the creation and performance of a particular regime for athletes..
? The wrestlers will feel that you care for them and that they need to practice in a healthy environment.
– Keep a record of all wrestlers attending training sessions (dates, name, etc.).
– Involvement in the game: arrange for “physical games” (preferably outdoors)
? Ensure motivation and a sense of high involvement in the competition.
– Priority: to assess the physical capabilities when wrestlers return to team training in the halls in order to correctly assess losses and assess the risk of injury on an individual basis.
– It is well known that your decisions can have health consequences, such as the increased risk of illness and injury: reduced stress due to isolation: leads to de-training of certain structures and systems of the body, can lead to an increased risk of injury. Excessive stress on the body when resuming training can also lead to traumatic stress and overtraining syndrome.
– Do not spread about the names of sick athletes until there is a good reason for this (at the request of health authorities, for medical reasons), observe the rules of privacy.
– The affected wrestler / individuals should contact the local medical services for further treatment.
– Listen and connect with your athletes! Try to understand their concerns and support them.
Psychological Consideration
– Remember that Covid-19 is a global challenge that affects all nations.
– Stress, agitation, uncertainty are risk factors for destabilization caused by a pandemic.
– Lack of sleep, poor nutrition or overeating and unplanned exercise in sports can lead to injury and illness.
– Coaches and sports psychologists should work at both individual and team levels in order to determine the level of arousal and psychological stress.
– Decreased ability to exercise ? affects the “athletic personality” (= indicates the degree to which the individual identifies with his role as an athlete). When a person experiences feelings of loss, identity crisis and stressful experience.
? It is important to provide social support when the athlete’s identity has been affected.
– Before returning to team training, it is suggested to meet with the coach and / or sports psychologist (to discuss any questions, concerns and characteristics that the athlete has).
– Coaches should constantly remind athletes of the original reasons for sports: fans, friendships, healthy competition, and building a healthy body.
– Sports psychologists can improve the mental and physical fitness of athletes through the use of various sports psychological techniques, such as:
• Managing anxiety or energy,
• Managing concentration (concentration),
• Communication,
• Goal setting,
• Imaging, visualization, mental training,
• Internal dialogue, etc.
– Watching clips of wrestling competitions can inspire wrestlers and strengthen their mental fitness. Help athletes return to the present by using breathing techniques and supporting information to return to the centre.
– Stick to your training plan for the next competition. Train as in a competition that is about to be held.
Other Considerations
If you plan to train at altitude, be careful:
? Athletes will face psychological adaptations to altitude, pulmonary stress from oxygen deprivation, adaptations of the vascular, cardiac, renal and immune systems that may be weakened by the previous Covid-19.
? Early symptoms of inadequate adaptation to hypoxia and respiratory complications: should be carefully analyzed as they may mask the symptoms of Covid-19.
Risk groups:
? For wrestlers with past injuries or illnesses: there is a risk of recurrence of the injury.
? Wrestlers who have had a Covid-19 infection: due to the possibility of long-term effects of infection on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems
? There may be a reduced ability to conduct effective training when resumed.