Blood Test for Athlete Performance
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A Window Into Your Body
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Related Symptoms
Fatigue | Low Energy | Decline in performance | Stress
In the realm of sports performance, blood biomarker testing is a window inside the athlete’s body. It allows athletes to better understand their nutrition and performance by providing them with information on nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, injury risk, hydration status, muscle status and more.
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Athlete performance and overall heath test powered by Quest Diagnostics.
- Total Cholesterol
- HDL Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol
- Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
- Triglycerides
- Glucose (blood sugar)
- Hemoglobin a1c
- HS-CRP
- Vitamin D
- Testosterone
- Creatinine
- Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
- ALT
- AST
- GGT
- Access to a board-certified physician to talk about your results and make an action plan to improve (at no additional cost).
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Blood tests have been a common diagnosis tool for over a century. However, these tests are now becoming increasingly accessible to the consumer, and a large variety of biomarkers can now be analyzed and applied specifically to optimize human performance.
Athletes need to perform to their best ability. With the advancement in technology, biomarkers are a great way to build this edge[i]. A simple blood analysis can produce very valuable data on the reactions that are occurring within the athlete’s body. This kind of detail can allow coaches to better manage training and nutrition, assess stress levels and muscle status, identify deficiencies in the body and, overall, optimize the athlete’s performance and prevent injury[ii]. Moreover, every athlete is different[iii]. Despite similar training regimes and diets, results can vary as genetic and environmental factors can cause athletes’ bodies to react differently. These differences need to be measured and taken into account especially when trying to optimize performance.
Biomarker Testing: A Window Inside the Athlete’s Body
A biomarker is a substance that is measured in a biological organism as an indicator of environmental exposure, effect, susceptibility or clinical disease[iv]. In order to obtain a biomarker analysis, a blood test needs to be taken and then analyzed. Based on the analysis, the appropriate changes need to be made to diet, training and lifestyle. Another test would be conducted three to five months after in order to determine if these changes have created a chemical impact within the body. Therefore, this process needs to be constantly adjusted in order to ensure all levels are maintained to peak performance level[v].
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For instance, biomarker analysis can be used to make direct measurements and thus allow for better injury prevention. Injury prediction is conducted by assessing indicators of stress and inflammation risk. In terms of indicators of stress, Creatine Kinase (CK) can help athletes understand injury risk potential. When identifying inflammation risk, knowing the athlete’s level of ferritin and white blood cell count can be very valuable. A comprehensive list of all of the biomarkers tested and their function is located in the appendix.
The diagram below shows the biological function of multiple biomarkers when it comes to helping coaches and athletes track performance, recovery and overall health of their players[vi].
Nutrition
Nutrition is an important factor of athletic performance and recovery. When overall nutrition is inadequate, it can cause a reduction in endurance performance and muscle function. For example, a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among athletes has been shown to cause reduced performance[vii]. Trainers can now base their diet and supplementation strategy on accurate blood test results. It is also known that vitamin supplements only benefit individuals with biological deficiency[viii].
Hydration Status
Water is an essential nutrient within the human body. When exercising, athletes lose fluid and electrolytes through sweat. This leads to dehydration and results in a decrease in extracellular fluid volume. Biomarkers can be used to prevent the negative impacts of dehydration[ix] on the athlete’s physical and mental state.
Muscle Status
Skeletal muscle tissue quality and recovery state of muscle affect strength, power, fatigue and endurance in athletes. Insufficient recovery impacts performance due to a higher need for effort, reduced exercise tolerance, reduced strength and reduced power. Therefore, monitoring indicators of muscle status allows athletes to customize their training in order to improve recovery routines and thus optimize performance[x].
Cardiovascular Endurance
One of the great indicators of cardiovascular endurance is iron as it is a fundamental component of aerobic metabolism –the way the body creates energy through combustion of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats in the presence of oxygen– and performance. Many athletes, especially females, suffer from an iron deficiency. Athletes with compromised iron status tend to experience a decrease in performance due to their inability to optimally metabolize substrates into energy[xi].
Injury Risk
Biomarkers can also be used to assess the athlete’s risk for several common injuries such as concussions[xii], stress fractures[xiii] and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries[xiv]. Based on different chemicals that are released post-injury, these common injuries can be detected with the use of biomarker testing and therefore prevented at an early stage[xv].
Inflammation
Muscle damage occurs regularly as part of exercise training and therefore results in a release of immune responses. Consequently, athletes that are trying to monitor their performance could track inflammation indirectly through components of the inflammation process that enter the blood circulation. Chronic inflammation is known to be a signal of injury or stress from overtraining. One biomarker that is released in response to skeletal muscle damage is Creatine Kinase[xvi]. Another example is myoglobin, which is released as a short-term marker of damage that is measurable in blood[xvii].
Biomarker testing is the way to gain an edge over other athletes competing in the same space. Understanding and tweaking what is happening inside an athlete’s body allows for changes that are directly catered towards the athlete’s needs. This personalized attention can help identify weaknesses and thus improve upon them. Biomarkers can identify shortcomings in nutrition, hydration status, muscle status, cardiovascular endurance, injury risk and inflammation. All of these aspects relate directly to the athlete’s performance, health and recovery thus allowing for greater optimization.
Another benefit of biomarker testing is educating athletes about their own health. By conducting these tests, coaches can help athletes understand their bodies better and as a result, improve their lifestyle choices. It also allows them to become more accountable for their supplementation, knowing that deficiencies will show up if they don’t take their supplements[xviii].
Overall, the benefits are endless in helping both the average and professional athlete significantly improve their performance level and thus have better results in their choice of sport.
Benefits of Biomarker Testing for Amateur Athletes
Biomarker testing isn’t only for professional athletes, it can provide useful insights for amateur athletes as well. When starting a new sport, athletes dedicate a lot of time and financial resources in order to improve their performance. It is worthwhile in the long run to ensure that the time, effort and money invested into training, nutrition, athletic gear and race entries is spent wisely. A test that is a few hundred dollars allows people to train smarter.
Based on the results, the athlete is able to establish baselines for categories such as cholesterol, white blood cells, vitamin D, cortisol and other proteins. Consequently, they can adjust their nutrition plan and therefore train better[xxv].
Future of Biomarker Testing for Athletes
Direct-to-consumer testing is a booming market. Athletes are today among the first to benefit from it, as it creates a whole new level of personalized care and performance optimization. Athletes can tailor their training loads, nutrition and supplementation strategies specifically for their own bodies, rather than cope with injury, suffer excess or deficiencies in nutrient and vitamin intake. As biomarker testing becomes more and more accessible, especially with the rise of direct-to-consumer test kits, athletes will drive this movement, eventually making it mainstream among amateurs and fitness enthusiasts.
References
[i] Tirrell, Meg.“This Simple Blood Test Promises to Improve Your Athletic Training. We Put It to the Test.” CNBC, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/02/03/this-simple-blood-test-promises-to-improve-your-athletic-training.html
[ii] Kroll, Tawnie. “What Is It and My Experience - Part I.” BlueprintFit, 30 June 2018, www.blueprintfit.com/blog/blueprintfit-experience-part/.
[iii] Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics, director. New York Giants: Case Studies of Applying Data from Biomarkers. YouTube, Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics, 23 Feb. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgGgbwLE6xk&feature=youtu.be.
[iv] Trojian, Thomas H. “To Screen or Not to Screen: Commentary and Review on Screening Laboratory Tests in Elite Athletes.” Students at Dartmouth Health Services, American College of Sports Medicine, 2014, students.dartmouth.edu/health-service/sites/students_health_service.prod/files/students_health_service/wysiwyg/screen_or_not_screen.pdf.
[v] Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics, director. FC Dallas: Using Biomarker Data To Assess Injury Risk & Define Recovery Strategies in MLS Players. YouTube, Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics, 2 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4f2ni1MsVw&feature=youtu.be.
[vi] Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics. “Webinar: Optimizing for High Level Performance.” YouTube, Blueprint for Athletes By Quest Diagnostics, 13 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeErEdHmuJU&feature=youtu.be.
[vii] Fragala MS, Goldman SM, Goldman MM, Bi C, Colletti JD, Arent SM, Walker AJ, Clarke NJ. Measurement of Cortisol and Testosterone in Athletes: Accuracy of Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Assays for Cortisol and Testosterone Measurement in Whole-Blood Microspecimens. J Strength Cond Res: 2425-2434, 2018.
[viii] Trojian, Thomas H. “To Screen or Not to Screen: Commentary and Review on Screening Laboratory Tests in Elite Athletes.” Students at Dartmouth Health Services, American College of Sports Medicine, 2014, students.dartmouth.edu/health-service/sites/students_health_service.prod/files/students_health_service/wysiwyg/screen_or_not_screen.pdf.
[ix] Valle, Carl.“7 Reasons to Blood Test Athletes - SimpliFaster.” SimpliFaster Blog, Spikes Only, 11 Apr. 2019, simplifaster.com/articles/blood-testing-athletes-benefits/.
[x] Volfinger L, Lassourd V, Michaux JM, Braun JP, Toutain PL.Kinetic evaluation of muscle damage during exercise by calculation of amount of creatine kinase released. Am J Physiol266: R434–R441, 1994.
[xi] Sorichter S, Puschendorf B, Mair J. Skeletal muscle injury induced by eccentric muscle action: Muscle proteins as markers of muscle fiber injury. Exerc Immunol Rev 5: 5–21, 1999.
[xii] Shahim P, Tegner Y, Wilson DH, Randall J, Skillbäck T, Pazooki D, Kallberg B, Blennow K, Zetterberg H. Blood biomarkers for brain injury in concussed professional ice hockey players. JAMA Neurol 71: 684–692, 2014.
[xiii] Beck TJ, Ruff CB, Shaffer RA, Betsinger K, Trone DW, Brodine SK. Stress fracture in military recruits: Gender differences in muscle and bone susceptibility factors. Bone 27: 437–444, 2000.
[xiv] Svoboda SJ, Harvey TM, Owens BD, Brechue WF, Tarwater PM, Cameron KL. Changes in serum biomarkers of cartilage turnover after anterior cruciate ligament injury. Am J Sports Med41: 2108–2116, 2013.
[xv] Hespanhol Jr., L.C., van Mechelen,W.,Postuma,E., Verhagen, E. (2015) Health and economic burder of running-related injuries in runners training for an event: A prospective cohort study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 26(9):1091-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12541
[xvi] Haas JD, Brownlie T. Iron deficiency and reduced work capacity: A critical review of the research to determine a causal relationship. J Nutr 131: 676S–688S, 2001; discussion 688S–690S.
[xvii] Lee, Elaine C et al. “Biomarkers in Sports and Exercise: Tracking Health, Performance, and Recovery in Athletes.” Journal of strength and conditioning research vol. 31,10 (2017): 2920-2937. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002122
[xviii] Sawka MN, Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW. Hypohydration and human performance: Impact of environment and physiological mechanisms. Sports Med 45(Suppl 1): S51–S60, 2015.
[xix] Dahlquist DT, Dieter BP, Koehle MS. Plausible ergogenic effects of vitamin D on athletic performance and recovery. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 12: 33, 2015
[xx] Henry C. Lukaski. Vitamin and mineral status: effects on physical performance. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug; 20:632-644. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.001.
[xxi] Lee, Elaine C et al. “Biomarkers in Sports and Exercise: Tracking Health, Performance, and Recovery in Athletes.” Journal of strength and conditioning research vol. 31,10 (2017): 2920-2937. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002122
[xxii] Huss, Ralf. “Biomarkers.” Biomarkers - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/biomarkers.
[xxiii] Tirrell, Meg.“This Simple Blood Test Promises to Improve Your Athletic Training. We Put It to the Test.” CNBC, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/02/03/this-simple-blood-test-promises-to-improve-your-athletic-training.html.
[xxiv] Hall, Brandon. “Bleeding For An Edge: Why a Growing Number of Pro Athletes Are Using Blood Analysis To Maximize Their Performance.” STACK, 25 Mar. 2016, www.stack.com/a/bleeding-for-an-edge-why-a-growing-number-of-pro-athletes-are-using-blood-analysis-to-maximize-their-performance.
[xxv] Brown, Asheton. “Fact: Everybody's Body Is DIFFERENT.” BlueprintFit, 16 July 2018, www.blueprintfit.com/blog/fact-everybodys-body-different/.