Health and Fitness Testing

Bodybuilding Blood Work

If you are starting a fitness program, or you just want to know your present fitness condition, bodybuilding blood work for the gym is a good way to evaluate your body. It reveals a surprising amount of information about your body.

You need to know if your body is working properly. There are a lot of interconnected processes that can get out of sync, and one problem can cause another problem, and so on. Feeling good is not an indicator that everything is fine. Science can see problems that feelings don’t reveal.

You don’t have to wait for a doctor to order a blood test. You can contact ReliaLab directly to ask for a fitness test.

Let’s look at how you can benefit

Bodybuilding Blood Work Benefits for Men and Women

Before we look at how each sex can benefit from bodybuilding blood work, examine some of the benefits for everybody.

A blood test will reveal the condition of your heart, levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream, hormone levels, and the presence of protein and enzymes.

Here are some in-depth considerations.

Cholesterol

Our comprehensive cholesterol lab test looks for a wide array of cholesterol types. Many people don’t realize how many kinds of cholesterol there are and what the implications are for certain levels in your body.

Here are the substances you should know about and understand:

• HDL, high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol)
• LDL, low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol)
• Triglycerides

Knowing your cholesterol levels can help you reduce risk of stroke, artery disease, and heart attack. You reduce these risks by controlling the amount of cholesterol you consume.

Test We Run for Cholesterol

Cholesterol Panel: including HDL, LDL, LDL:HDL Ratio, and Total Cholesterol

• Apolipoprotein B
• Cholesterol, Total
• HDL (High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol ) (HDL-C)
• LDL (Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol) (LDL-C)
• Lipid Panel
• Lipid Panel with Cholesterol:HDL Ratio
• Lipoprofile NMR for LDL Particle Size (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)

How Cholesterol Testing Works

The cholesterol test is a simple procedure. You must fast for 14 hours before the bodybuilding blood work, and you cannot have any alcohol for 48 hours before a test. Sorry, no coffee either.

We draw blood from your arm. We identify a vein, apply a tourniquet above the collection spot, and then insert a needle. We draw a vile of blood. Then we remove the tourniquet and apply a cotton ball to the puncture.

All of this takes just a few minutes.

Then we test the blood and will call you when results are ready. Of course, all of the numbers from a test are of little help unless you know how to interpret them. These guidelines are useful:

Total cholesterol

• Less than 200 mg/dL–good
• 200-239 mg/dL–borderline high risk
• 240 and over–high risk

HDL

• Less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women–increased risk of heart disease
• Greater than 60mg/dL–protection against heart disease

LDL

• Less than 100 mg/dL–optimal
• 100-129 mg/dL–near optimal
• 130-159 mg/dL–borderline high
• 160- 189 mg/dL–high
• 190 mg/dL and above–very high

Triglycerides

• Less than 150 mg/dL–normal
• 150-199 mg/dL–borderline to high
• 200-499mg/dL–high
• Above 500 mg/dL–very high

Diabetes Testosterone (Total and Free)

Most people think of testosterone testing as a procedure strictly for men, but women’s bodies produce testosterone as well. While this hormone is often discussed in terms of its effect on libido, it also has a role in diabetes.

For men, when testosterone is too low, they can store too much fat, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Women have the opposite problem. If their testosterone is too high, they may store too much fat.

ReliaLab can run a testosterone test for you to help you determine your level of risk for diabetes.

Now let’s look at tests that can benefit each of the sexes separately. Men and women have different types of tests that can tell them if they are in good health.

Female Bodybuilding Blood Work

We offer several bodybuilding blood work options, including complete panels for men and women. If you need an overall lab tests, here’s what’s included in our panels:

Female Health Profile Basic

• CBC, Complete Blood Count with Differential/Platelet Count
• CMP14, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Iron + Total Iron Binding Capacity (Fe + TIBC)
• Lipid Panel
• FSH, Follicle Stimulating Hormone + LH, Leutinizing Hormone
• Urinalysis, Complete With Microscopic Examination

Female Health Profile Comprehensive

• CBC, Complete Blood Count with Differential/Platelet Count
• CMP14, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Iron + Total Iron Binding Capacity (Fe + TIBC)
• Lipid Panel
• C-Reactive Protein, CRP (High-Sensitivity, Cardiac CRP, Preferred)
• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
• Estrogens, Total
• Ferritin, Serum
• Urinalysis, Complete With Microscopic Examination
• CA125 Cancer Antigen (CA) 125, Serum

Female Health Profile Ultimate

• CBC, Complete Blood Count with Differential/Platelet Count
• CMP14, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Iron + Total Iron Binding Capacity (Fe + TIBC)
• Lipid Panel
• C-Reactive Protein, CRP (High-Sensitivity, Cardiac CRP, Preferred)
• Thyroid Profile II (Comprehensive)
• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
• Estrogens, Total
• Ferritin, Serum
• Urinalysis, Complete With Microscopic Examination
• CA125 Cancer Antigen (CA) 125, Serum
• Prealbumin
• Estradiol, E2
• FSH, Follicle Stimulating Hormone + LH, Leutinizing Hormone
• Hemoglobin A1c (Average Glucose)
• Lipoprofile NMR for LDL Particle Size (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)

Male Health Testing

• CBC, Complete Blood Count with Differential/Platelet Count
• CMP14, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Panel with LDL:HDL Ratio
• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
• Urinalysis, Complete With Microscopic Examination
• Blood Pressure Check

Male Health Profile Comprehensive

• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
• ALT, Ananie Amontransferase (SGPT) for Liver
• Glcohemoglobin, Ghb
• C-Reactive Protein, CRP (High-Sensitivity, Cardiac CRP, Preferred)

Low Testosterone Test for Men

• Depression
• Mental fogginess/fuzziness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety
• Muscle loss
• Weight gain
• Loss of facial hair
• Decreased sex drive

Men with low testosterone may not feel any symptoms until around age 50. But you can find out if your levels are too low long before that age. Here are some effects of low testosterone.

The Bottom Line in Bodybuilding Blood Work

Your fitness should not be left up to guesswork. It is better to start with bodybuilding blood work. Get an idea of your overall fitness level before you start or resume a fitness program. Even if you are on a fitness program now, you should know how your body is doing.

For example, if lab tests reveal you have potential heart problems, you would want to avoid overstressing the heart with strenuous exercise. To give another example, if you are trying to lose weight, but your testosterone levels are not good, you will have a nearly impossible struggle.

Fitness has simply become a science. You can get a clear picture of your health through actual numbers instead of guesswork. Not only can this prepare you for workout routines, it can guide your choices on nutrition and lifestyle. A commitment to your own health starts with an assessment of your fitness performed by professionals who know what to look for.

Call ReliaLab to get a comprehensive view of your fitness situation with one of our blood tests for the gym. Even if you are “in shape,” you could have some issues you don’t know about.