I’ll be 43 this year. I’m pretty good health - I jog ~15-35miles a week at a sub 8min/mi pace and have just restarted lifting weights 3 days a week.

I have high blood pressure that I control well with diet and meds, and high cholesterol that I’ve been on statins to control for about a year (not sure if I’ll continue taking it).

I want to get a holistic analysis of my general health from a nutrition / fitness perspective as a baseline for improving my performance, but also to identify any issues I can address with diet or supplements. I’m thinking something that tests free testosterone, cortisol, and many of the other bro-science type things that wouldn’t get tested as part of a normal physical blood screening…including hormones.

What does the board recommend I do? What tests should I take and how/where should I get them? How much should I expect to spend to get these tests?

TIA

This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 1:18 pm

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Posted by OysterPoBoy

City of St. George

Member since Jul 2013

44922 posts

Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:34 pm to PenguinNinja

Do you follow Peter Attia? This is right up his alley. I don't know where to go locally but I would be interested in hearing what others may have done.

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Posted by lsu777

Lake Charles

Member since Jan 2004

38054 posts

Posted on 1/13/25 at 2:29 pm to PenguinNinja

quote:
What does the board recommend I do? What tests should I take and how/where should I get them? How much should I expect to spend to get these tests?

LINK

Sex Hormones:
Total Testosterone (LC/MS) [uncapped]
Free Testosterone (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration) [uncapped]
Estradiol, Sensitive / Ultrasensitive (LC/MS)
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Progesterone
Prolactin
Cortisol

Gonadotropins:
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

Neurosteroids:
Pregnenolone
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S)

Thyroid:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroglobulin Antibody (tgAb)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOab)
Reverse T3

Growth Hormone/IGF-1:
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-1)

Lipids:
ApoA1
ApoB
ApoA1:ApoB Ratio
Total Cholesterol
HDL Cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol
LDL:HDL Ratio
VLDL Cholesterol
Triglycerides
Lipoprotein(a)

Blood:
Complete Blood Count w/ Differential (Hematocrit; hemoglobin; mean corpuscular volume (MCV); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red cell distribution width (RDW); percentage and absolute differential counts; platelet count (RBC); red cell count; white blood cell count (WBC))
Reticulocyte Count

Metabolic:
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (albumin:globulin (A:G) ratio; albumin, serum; alkaline phosphatase, serum; bilirubin, total; BUN:creatinine ratio; calcium, serum; carbon dioxide, total; chloride, serum; globulin, total; potassium, serum; protein, total, serum; sodium, serum)

Insulin Sensitivity:
Blood glucose
Fasting Insulin
HbA1c
Uric Acid

Liver Function:
AST
ALT
BUN
Bilirubin, Total
?-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

Kidney Function:
Creatinine w/ eGFR
SDMA (Symmetric Dimethylarginine)

Vitamins:
Vitamin D, 25-OHD (25-Hydroxy)
Vitamin B12
VItamin B9 (Folate) / Folic Acid
Magnesium, RBC

Iron Panel:
Iron
Transferrin Saturation / Iron Saturation
TIBC
UIBC
Ferritin

Inflammatory Markers:
C-Reactive Protein, High Sensitivity (hsCRP)

Heart Health:
ADMA (Asymmetric Dimethylarginine)
Homocyst(e)ine
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)
Fibrinogen (Factor I) Activity

Tumor Markers:
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

Urinalysis:
Complete Urinalysis (color; appearance; specific gravity; pH; protein; glucose; occult blood; ketones; leukocyte esterase; nitrite; bilirubin; urobilinogen; microscopic examination of urine sediment)

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Posted by DoubleDown

New Orleans, Louisiana

Member since Oct 2008

13321 posts

Posted on 1/13/25 at 3:06 pm to PenguinNinja

Not sure how these 2 things can both be true, unless there's some underlying hereditary causes:

quote:
I jog ~15-35miles a week at a sub 8min/mi pace and have just restarted lifting weights 3 days a week.

quote:
I have high blood pressure that I control well with diet and meds, and high cholesterol that I’ve been on statins to control for about a year (not sure if I’ll continue taking it).

Running a sub 8min mile is pretty good if you're doing it 4+ times a week.

Honestly, I've been trying the "Zone 2" format of HR zones for my running. You may want to watch some youtube videos on that. It's the idea that you slow down your mile pace to optimize your fat burning at a "zone 2" heart rate.

I slowed mine down to about a 10-12min mile, which in turn takes longer to run 3 or so miles BUT also is a plus as you're on the treadmill a little longer.

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Posted by PenguinNinja

Antarctica (and Japan)

Member since Sep 2011

2391 posts

Posted on 1/13/25 at 3:56 pm to DoubleDown

My blood pressure is very hereditary. Same for the cholesterol…at least to a large extent.

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Posted by Aubie Spr96

lolwut?

Member since Dec 2009

44431 posts

Posted on 1/13/25 at 4:27 pm to PenguinNinja

quote:
I jog ~15-35miles a week at a sub 8min/mi pace

Damn. What's your race pace? 5min/mile? Not sure how it impacts blood pressure, but zone 2 will be less stressful on your body if you are looking to train your heart.

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