adidas unveiled its latest product innovation designed to keep more menstruators in sport: the new TechFit Period Proof tights, featuring an absorbent layer to help protect against leaks when worn with a tampon or pad. In addition, with teachers and athletes alike calling for more information on the topic of menstruation, adidas has collaborated with Dr. Georgie Bruinvels to create free resources and lesson plans for schools around the world. The launch is part of adidas' roadmap of innovations coming out this year to better service all women in sport under the long-term Watch Us Move campaign; a commitment to revolutionising its product offering and services to better support the needs of its diverse female community. The first step in this was understanding what physical, emotional and societal barriers exist to sports participation. adidas found that teenage girls are dropping out of sport at an alarming rate, with one of the key reasons being fear of period leakage[2]. Using these insights, the brand set out to create a product that helps athletes stay in sport throughout their cycle by giving them an added layer of protection. After over two years of development and rigorous testing carried out at each stage of the journey, key details of the tights are as follows: TECHFIT PERIOD PROOF TIGHTS: Using new adidas Flow Shield technology, the tights have a set of absorbent layers and a membrane that help protect against leaks, giving athletes added confidence whilst training through their period. A wicking layer, absorbing layer and leak proof layer work together to provide protection, whilst a bonding frame holds each layer together and keeps the tights in place. The 1 in 4 dropout rate not only emphasised the need for performance wear that better serves the needs of those who menstruate, but also highlighted a lack of education and understanding about periods amongst teens and adults alike. Analysing data from over 14,000 athletes found that even those at the top of their field didn't learn about – or talk about – periods in sport at school or with their coaches. In the UK, 82.3% of participants indicated that they had never received any education about their menstrual cycle in the context of sport or exercise, and of those who have a coach, 81.5% have never spoken to their coach about their cycle. In the US, 65.3% have not received education on the topic, and 75.8% have not discussed the menstrual cycle with their coach. To sustain the dialogue and put the topic of menstruation on the global sporting stage, adidas will be passing the mic to its network of athletes to share their own experiences of training and competing on their periods, including Team GB athlete and Olympic medallist, Jazmin Sawyers, and WNBA player, Layshia Clarendon, who is currently the New York Liberty guard.