As an athlete, you are continuously striving to become the best version of yourself. Over time, you may have noticed that there are some things that you simply cannot do.
This doesn't mean that you have peaked as an athlete. It could be the result of hormone or nutritional deficiencies or inflammation in the body.
With an athlete blood test, you can reach this goal of becoming a better athlete. Continue reading to learn how these blood tests can help you to improve your performance as an athlete.
Traditional Blood Work Panels Can Only Do So Much
Having bloodwork done at your yearly physical is great and all, but it won't actually tell you much. With run-of-the-mill blood testing, you may be able to prevent certain training issues. However, it won't actually give you food or lifestyle recommendations that will help you become a better athlete over time.
What Can Athlete Blood Tests Tell You?
Biomarkers measured in athlete blood tests make it so that you can optimize human performance, and they are readily available to consumers at an affordable price through Ulta Lab Tests. With an athlete blood test, you can test for biomarkers that give you insight into nutrition, hormones, and performance. It can also track deficiencies that may be holding you back as an athlete.
A blood analysis specific to athletes can look into:
- Overall health
- Risks of injury
- Muscle status
- Hydration
- Nutrition
With the analysis of these things, you can see the reactions that your body may be producing as a result of your athletic lifestyle.
The best thing about these tests is that the comparisons are based on others who have the same athletic lifestyle as you do. These tests will be able to give you recommendations for:
- Energy boosts
- Sleep regulation
- Possible injuries
- Possible illnesses
- Enhanced performance
Athlete blood tests look at several factors, including inflammation, immunity, and deficiencies.
Suppose the blood test shows signs of high cortisol and inflammation. In that case, it can point you towards healing any hormone deficiencies that you may be dealing with as a result of intense exercise regimens. Biomarkers for inflammation may point to the fact that you are overtraining and need to take a break.
Having nutrition deficiencies can be causing you to have energy or performance issues. The most common nutrition deficiency seen in athletes is iron deficiency because it is so easy to lose iron through sweating or running. An iron deficiency causes weakness, extreme fatigue, and pain which can affect your performance.
An athlete's blood test can help to identify these issues. These tests can help to point you in the right direction towards becoming the best version of yourself.
Tests Available Through Ulta Lab Tests
Several different tests are available through Ulta Lab Tests that can test for key performance biomarkers in the blood.
Wellness Performance FX tests 116 biomarkers through a series of tests focusing on cardiovascular and metabolic health. It also evaluates blood, kidney, and liver health, along with electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals.
The Comprehensive Performance test checks for 142 biomarkers through several tests, including:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) (include blood levels, differential, and platelets)
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- Lipid Panel with Ratios
- Lipoprotein Fractionation, Ion Mobility
- Urinalysis (UA) Complete
Two tests focus on the health of an athlete based on the hormones:
The Blueprint Fitness- 3 Performance Panel focuses on:
- Metabolic performance (including the resting metabolic rate)
- Training status
- Endurance & conditioning
The multifaceted athlete blueprint blood test will look for discrepancies in several tests, including:
- Complete Blood Count
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Estrogen/Testosterone
- Immunoglobulin
- Iron Total Iron Binding Capacity
These lab tests for enhancing performance focus on the benefits of testing and the types of tests used for optimal athletic performance. This means that these tests can be used to screen, diagnose, and monitor certain health conditions as well.
Athletic Performance Determined by Biomarkers
The Complete Blood Count panel is great for getting the inside look into an athlete's performance. It highlights biomarkers, like Vitamin D and Ferritin, that impact the athlete's ability to perform to the best of their abilities. It also tests for cortisol and creatine levels in relation to overtraining and injury prevention.
DHEA-S refers to the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate test that checks for adrenal function/dysfunction. Having too low DHEA-S levels can cause diabetes, chronic fatigue, weakened bones (osteoporosis), while higher levels can point to adrenal cancer or PCOS.
Thyroid testing is essential for athletes who are struggling with fatigue, unexplained weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, muscle cramps, depression, and irritability. Having abnormal thyroid levels can cause all of these issues for no apparent reason. Once you know that your thyroid is causing issues, you can work with your doctor to get them back to normal.
In general, urine tests are completed to detect possible drug use in athletes. A Complete Urinalysis, however, tests urine to detect any dysfunction within the kidneys and urinary tract for infections or illnesses.
Hormones play a huge part in athletic performance. Testing for growth hormone, thyroxine, testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, and progesterone has a predictive role in how training needs to be adapted for optimal athletic performance.
A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) measures the levels of glucose and electrolytes in the body. It also determines liver and kidney function. These levels are then used to determine how your diet and exercise regimen keep your body balanced and helps you to figure out what you need to change to become the best athlete you can be.
Order Your Athlete Lab Tests From Ulta Lab Tests
Several benefits come with the use of Ulta Lab Tests. These tests are highly accurate and reliable because they are performed in a lab by a phlebotomist (they are not at-home test kits).
These tests are so reliable that they come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You don't need a physician's referral or health insurance coverage for them. You can count on receiving secure and confident results within 24 and 48 hours.
Contact Ulta Lab Tests today with any questions that you may have about an athlete blood test.
