Angelite has recently implemented a project to support women's judo in collaboration with B&, a women's sports web media run by Link Sports Co., Ltd.

This project is aimed at girls from junior high school to working adults who are involved in judo, and aims to provide them with Angelite sanitary spats, allowing them to compete safely even on their menstrual days.This time, the project was carried out with five teams in the Tokyo area.

In addition to sharing their impressions after actually using the product, they shared with their team and Angelite 's product development staff the concerns judo athletes have about menstruation, which led to the realization of this project in the hope that it would help address the issues facing the women's judo world.

Menstrual leakage can lead to defeat. Helping to solve the problem in the women's judo world

Under current Japanese judo rules, bleeding from an injury during a match must be stopped by medical staff (up to two times per match). If bleeding continues from the same area after the second attempt, the athlete is unable to continue the match and the opponent is awarded the win by forfeit.

This rule may also apply to menstrual leakage, so athletes often take measures such as changing their judo uniform if menstrual blood gets on them, and frequently changing their sanitary products. In response to this situation, there is a growing movement to establish rules regarding menstruation and to resolve issues regarding how to deal with this on the ground.

This time, Angelite is being offered to athletes with the hope that they will use it as one of the options for sanitary spats to wear during competition.

This was the first step in the brand's efforts to realize its goal of "enabling women to live freely and comfortably without worrying about their periods."

Are you worried about menstrual leakage during exercise?

We recently conducted a survey of athletes from five judo teams, and the results revealed that many people have concerns about dealing with menstruation during exercise.

Interview with the Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education Judo Club!

"When I'm doing judo, I always get sweaty during my period..." Interview with a player from the Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education Judo Club and the "Angelite" sanitary spats! [PR]

・"It's especially tough when you're losing weight..." Interview with athletes from the Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education Judo Club and the "Angelite" sanitary spats! [PR]

・"One piece can prevent menstrual leakage!" Interview with athletes from the Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education Judo Club and the "Angelite" sanitary spats! [PR]

Comment from Misato Nakamura

We also received comments on the initiative from Misato Nakamura, a three-time World Judo champion who won bronze medals in the women's 52kg judo category at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

 

"Leaking menstrual blood is a natural phenomenon and cannot be helped, so I don't think it's something that should disqualify a contestant. I personally used as large a size of pads and tampons as possible until my late 20s. When my period pain got worse in my 30s, I started using menstrual cups and absorbent briefs, and I hardly ever have to worry about leaks anymore.

 

I think there are many ways to deal with menstruation, so I think it's important to know about it from a young age. At first, it's hard to see it as something that concerns you personally, and it's hard to gather information. That's why it's best for coaches to proactively communicate with athletes and present options. I hope that more athletes will have a solid understanding of menstruation and be able to gather information on their own.

Introducing the project team

This time, we worked with the following five teams:

・Shibuya Educational Academy Shibuya Junior and Senior High School Judo Club

・Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education Judo Club