lululemon FURTHER Ultramarathon Program Empowers Female Athletes to Exceed Their Limits
lululemon actively promotes female athletes through the FURTHER program, developed in collaboration with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. Leading a group of 10 ambassadors, the overall goal of the program is to advance female-focused research to better understand human performance and help eliminate the gender and data gap in sports science.
lululemon's New Run Series: Empowering Women with Sports Science Innovation**
lululemon is committed to empowering women in the field of sports science through innovation. This program, in partnership with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, its research network, and its10 FURTHER ambassadors, specifically studies why women can become outstanding endurance athletes. This is not just a scientific program but a significant initiative to deepen understanding of human performance and advance research on women.
Research and Innovation
The program focuses on addressing the underrepresentation of women in the fields of sports science and sports medicine. An audit of specific sports science and sports medicine journals revealed that only 4%-13% of studies specifically target women. This phenomenon highlights a reality: women are often overlooked and underserved in scientific research.
Through comprehensive training and close collaboration with sports scientists and product designers, the athletes continually shuttle between the lab and the test field during the year-long FURTHER program, providing feedback to ensure each innovation is tailor-made for them.
36 Innovative Technologies Designed Specifically for Women
In the new series, lululemon has introduced 36 innovative products designed specifically for women, each customized to the needs of individual female athletes. The program discovered that women often have to compromise or choose equipment that does not meet their needs. Female athletes in general face similar barriers, such as the lack of suitable gear, they often have to patch together uniforms, modify functional items, and wear equipment originally designed for men. lululemon's goal is to address the real challenges and unmet needs faced by these athletes, and many female athletes in general, in their equipment through the introduction of innovative technologies that support their comprehensive needs—physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
Key to meeting female athletes' needs are providing storage solutions for ultra-running; cooling strategies for running in the heat and changing sensory states; preferences for fit, compression, and functionality; and the opportunity for each athlete to fine-tune their gear based on their sensory state, environmental conditions, and competition goals.
lululemon's range of sports gear is centered around female athletes, addressing the various challenges they may encounter during multi-day events. These products not only need to be non-intrusive, providing precise fit and compression effects, but also feature multiple storage solutions and ease of wear. Additionally, considering environmental factors such as lightweight, breathable warmth, active cooling, and UVA/B protection, this gear effectively supports athletes in maintaining optimal performance under various conditions.
These gears include nine new patents, which not only advance industry technology but also specifically focus on enhancing the comfort and performance of athletes. For example, the Support Code Bra, considers the support needs during high-intensity activities and features unique storage capabilities, making it ideal for prolonged endurance runs.
The Runsie, inspired by ultramarathon runner Camille Herron, is an all-in-one super sports garment designed to make the wearer feel like a superhero. Additionally, cooling gear and accessories in the series, such as the ice running vest, ice sleeves, and cooling headgear, are based on scientific research on heat management and body temperature regulation, aimed at providing targeted cooling effects. Research has helped the brand develop equipment that can reduce soft tissue vibration, potentially decreasing muscle damage, thus helping athletes go further in competitions.
With the launch of these sports equipment designed specifically for women, lululemon not only places female athletes' needs at the core, advancing sports science innovation, but also sets new standards for the entire sports apparel industry, ensuring that female athletes receive the best support and performance under various competitive conditions.
