UH OH ... OUT OF RANGE ... WHAT SHOULD I DO DOC ?
false readings due to having a high amount of muscle mass , hard training , supplementing with creatine , and many more things . But assuming one takes a few days off training , creatine , and PEDs for a few days it should come back fairly accurately . The kidneys can take a while to regenerate so it is not a marker to mess around with . Another good marker to look for here for physique competitors is glucose . Some of us in the pursuit of maximum amount of muscle mass have to consume a large amount of carbs in order to have the proper fuel to put on muscle . This can sometimes lead to our blood sugar being high and can lead to certain issues involving our bodies ' ability to regulate insulin and control blood glucose .
Hormone Analysis- Hormones are extremely powerful and will directly influence how we feel , how we think , and how we act . If we have hormone imbalances , we will never feel optimal and we may even experience some serious mental health issues as well as physical issues . In regards to building muscle , if our sex hormones are not optimized , you may be working as hard as possible in the gym and be super disciplined and still never build much of a physique . In regards to males , doctors often forget to not only look at total testosterone but also make sure that you get your free testosterone tested . You can have high total testosterone but the one actually being utilized by the body can be better understood by free testosterone .
Lipid Panel- This is a crucial panel as it measures our cholesterol and triglycerides . These markers are directly linked to our heart health and can be influenced by nutrition , genetics , and PED usage . Bodybuilders are notorious for having issues with cholesterol so it is extremely important to know your levels and react according to them . Some people , no matter how hard they try with natural remedies and good practices , may still need medical intervention to minimize their risk of heart disease . Make sure to understand what the optimal ranges are for you in regard to your specific body and gender . The goal is always high HDL and low LDL .
Thyroid panel- We have different thyroid hormones in our body which can directly control our metabolism , affect our cholesterol levels , and influence our insulin sensitivity . An underactive thyroid can result in weight gain , exhaustion , and even lead to mental health issues such as depression . An overactive thyroid can result in weight loss , tremors , and irregular fluctuations in our heart rate . It is crucial for us as physique competitors and athletes to see this not only in regard to our health but also in regards to seeing why our body is or is not progressing a certain way when we expose it to certain dietary or exercise practices .
Inflammatory Markers- Most diseases in the body are a build-up of inflammation in the body which has created a breeding ground for something to go wrong . One of the most common markers to check for inflammation in the body is C-reactive protein . An elevated level indicates an inflammatory response in the body , which could be due to physical trauma , emotional stress , oxidative stress , allergy , a sedentary lifestyle , and more . This is worth looking into just to ensure that everything is alright and nothing is breeding in the background of your body .
HBA1C- Unless you are constantly monitoring your blood sugar , you do not know your body ’ s ability on how well it is handling carbs or how well your pancreas is pumping out insulin . Constantly elevated blood sugar levels can lead to disease in the body and can lead to many issues down the road . This marker will tell you an average of your blood sugar in the last 3 months . Most smaller