Relevant Blood Work Markers for the Enhanced Fitness Enthusiast
The Blood Work Markers below will give any Body Builder or Fitness Enthusiast an Accurate Indication of their Current State of Health and Insight into Areas (or Organs) they need to focus their attention on, in order to Improve certain Health Markers.
Blood Work Analysis
I always ask new Coaching Clients to do Extensive Blood Work prior to Starting our Coaching Relationship so I can see where their Health Problems are (if any) and what we need to Pay Attention to while we aim to reach their goals. I always strive to keep my Clients as Healthy as Possible, often improving their Health while Attaining their Goals!
Personalized Blood Work Review & Health Advice is also available during a Consultation with Coach Steve!
Contest Prep is obviously a bit more “Abusive” when it comes to PED use as the Client is in a Caloric Deficit for a Prolonged Period of Time and might not have the Genetics to Preserve Strength & Muscle Tissue when Dieting down to Single Digit Body Fat Levels. Needless to say, we try to make sure we do the least amount of Damage Possible, but Contest Prep isn’t exactly about Health, it’s about Winning the Show!
With a Class Win, Overall and perhaps Pro Card or National, European, Asian or World Championship Title on the Line, we do tend to go “ALL IN” and Focus on Recovery of Health after the Show is done (and hopefully; WON!)
Besides the Extensive List Below, Additional Markers might be Advisable as a follow-up; Analysis of Specific Vitamins & Minerals, Analysis of Virals or Toxins as well as Organ-Specific EKG, ECG or Ultrasound if needed. In cases of presumed Kidney Impairment; a 24 Hour Urine Collection Test, with perhaps an Inulin Clearance Test, to assess Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) might be Required
Ideally, you want to do a FULL Health Checkup every 6 Months, with Monthly or Bi-Monthly Updates of Specific Markers until they are in a Healthy Range again.
General Body Details
• Age; years
• Height; cm or feet & inch
• Blood Pressure; Systolic (mm Hg) over Diastolic (mm Hg)
• Body Weight; kg or lb
• Body Fat Level; %
• Waist Circumference; cm or inch
Complete Blood Count
• Hematocrit; %
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count; Mcells/mm^3
• Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW); %
• Red Blood Cell Morphology
• Anisocytosis; present?
• Micro- & Macrocytes; present?
• Hypochromia; present?
• Platelet Count: Cells/mm^3
• Platelet from Smear; adequate?
• Hemoglobin; g/dL or mmol/L
• Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV); μm3 or fL
• Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH); pg/cell or fmol/cell
• Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC); g/dL or mmol/L
• White Blood Cell (WBC) Count; Cells/mm^3
White Blood Cell Differential
• Neutrophil (PMN); %
• Lymphocyte; %
• Monocyte; %
• Eosinophil; %
• Basophil; %
CBC Relevant Markers
• Serum Iron; μg/dL or μmol/L
• Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC); μg/dL or μmol/L
• Serum Ferritin; ng/mL or nmol/L
• Transferrin; mg/dL or mmol/L
• Transferrin Saturation; %
• Hemoglobin A1C; %
Blood Chemistry
• Total Cholesterol; mg/dL or mmol/L
• Triglycerides; mg/dL or mmol/L
• High Density Lipoprotein (HDL); mg/dL or mmol/L
• Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL); mg/dL or mmol/L
• High Sensitivity; C-Reactive Protein (hs;CRP); mg/L or nmol/L
• Fasted Blood Sugar; mg/dL or mmol/L
Kidney Function
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN); mg/dL or mmol/L
• Creatinine; mg/dL or μmol/L
• Creatine Phosphate Kinase (CPK); U/L or μkat/L
• Cystatin-C; mg/L or nmol/L
• Uric Acid; mg/dL or μmol/L
• eGFR; mL/min per 1.73 m2
Serum Electrolytes
• Sodium (Na+); mEq/L or mmol/L
• Potassium (K+); mEq/L or mmol/L
• Chloride (Cl-); mEq/L or mmol/L
• BiCarbonate (HCO3 / CO2); mEq/L or mmol/L
• Magnesium (Mg+); mEq/L or mmol/L
• Calcium (Ca+); mEq/L or mmol/L
Liver Function
• Total Protein; g/dL
• Albumin; g/dL
• Globulin; g/dL
• Albumin:Globulin Ratio; calculated
• Alkaline Phosphate; U/L or μkat/L
• Total Bilirubin; mg/dL or μmol/L
• Direct Bilirubin; mg/dL or μmol/L
• Serum Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT/AST); U/L or μkat/L
• Serum Glutamic-Pyruvic Transaminase (SGPT/ALT); U/L or μkat/L
• Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (Gamma-GT); U/L or μkat/L
Urinalysis Panel
• Color
• Appearance
• Specific Gravity (Sp.Gr)
• Ph Level
• Protein, Glucose, Ketones, Bilirubin, Urobilinogen, Nitrite & Blood; present?
• RBC, WBC (Leukocytes) & Epithelial Cells Levels; Cells/HPF
• Bacteria; present?
Hormones
• Estrogen / Estradiol E2; pg/mL or pmol/L
• Prolactin; ng/mL or nmol/L
• Progesterone; ng/mL or nmol/L
• Pregnenolone; ng/dL or nmol/L
• Pregnenolone-Sulfate (PregS); μg/dL or μmol/L
• DeHydroEpiAndrosterone (DHEA); ng/mL or nmol/L
• DeHydroEpiAndrosterone-Sulfate (DHEA-S); μg/dL or μmol/L
• Total Testosterone; ng/dL or nmol/L
• Free Testosterone; ng/dL or nmol/L
• Bio-Available Testosterone; ng/dL or nmol/L
• DiHydroTestosterone (DHT); ng/dL or nmol/L
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG); μg/mL or nmol/L
• Morning/Waking Cortisol; μg/dL or nmol/L
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA); ng/mL or μg/L
• Luteinizing Hormone (LH); mIU/mL or IU/L
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH); mIU/mL or IU/L
• Serum Growth Hormone (GH); ng/mL or μg/L
• Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1); ng/mL or nmol/L
• Fasting Serum Insulin; μIU/mL or pmol/L
Thyroid
• Total Triiodothyronine (T3); ng/dL or nmol/L
• Free Triiodothyronine (T3); pg/mL or pmol/L
• Reverse Triiodothyronine (T3); ng/dL or nmol/L
• Total Thyroxine (T4); μg/dL or nmol/L
• Free Thyroxine (T4); ng/dL or pmol/L
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH); mIU/L
Nutrient Deficiency
• 1,25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D3; pg/mL or pmol/L
• 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D; ng/mL or nmol/L
• Vitamin B12 / Cobalamin; ng/L
• Vitamin B9 / Folate / Folic Acid; ng/mL
