Considerations for the Female Athlete:
Physiology differs significantly for the female athlete and there are some major considerations from puberty to menopause that need to be considered when working with this demographic. We will cover many of these considerations and practical applications of the science to add to your repertoire to confidently work with female athletes as well as refer for support when needed to meet their needs on an individual level. Dr. Nikole MacLellan a.k.a Dr. Kokes (nicknames always stick) was fortunate enough to have the opportunity at a young age to play many sports. She found herself leading national ringette teams to gold medals, playing provincial soccer for New Brunswick, and her amazing hockey career lead her to play for the Dalhousie University women’s varsity team. She has been extremely fortunate to take invaluable leadership and teamwork skills from sport but has always had a strong passion for education. Dr. Kokes completed her Bachelors of Commerce at Dalhousie University with a major in Marketing Management. She always had a keen interest in nutrition and health so she pivoted and obtained her Bachelors of Applied Human Nutrition with Dietetics from Mount Saint Vincent University. Through this degree she was able to experience so many amazing opportunities from working at the Halifax Rehabilitation center, working with at risk youth, to working with QMJHL athletes, and in hospitals all across Nova Scotia. She built a solid foundation in nutrition but was looking for more ways to evoke change in patients so she attended the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine where she completed her Doctorate in 2017. Through her training Dr. Kokes primarily focuses in naturopathic sports medicine and pain management. She has completed her certification in sports nutrition through the International Society of Sports Nutrition and has taken Sport Medicine training at Harvard University. She has a strong passion for regenerative medicine and has seen first-hand its ability to improve recovery outcomes. All of these skills have culminated into total performance optimization. When we speak of performance most minds go direct to athletics but we perform tasks all day every day. Performance encompasses optimizing your total daily experience from wake to sleep.
