Elite Athlete Metrics Profile + CARDIO PROFILE

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Elite Athlete Metrics Profile + Cardio Profile is designed to test 23 essential hormones, Vitamin D and other essential levels in men and women and determine whether any hormonal imbalances might be the source of symptoms. The following hormones will be tested:
  • Estradiol (E2),
  • Testosterone (T),
  • DHEA-S (DS),
  • Progesterone (Pg),
  • Cortisol Morning,
  • Cortisol Noon,
  • Cortisol Evening,
  • Cortisol Night in saliva in saliva. 
  • Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH),
  • Free Triiodothyronine (fT3),
  • Free Thyroxine (fT4),
  • Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOab),
  • Vitamin D (D2 & D3)  in blood spots in men and women.

Add on Cardio Profile

  • Add on Insulin Fasting(In)
  • Add on High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein ( hs-CRP), 
  • Add on Triglycerides (TG), 
  • Add on Total Cholesterol (CH), 
  • Add on LDL Cholesterol (LDL), 
  • Add on Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), 
  • Add on VLDL Cholesterol (VLDL), 
  • Add on HDL Cholesterol (HDL), 
  • Add on Luteinizing hormone (LH) in blood spots in men and women.

Test Result: You will receive your test result 3-5 working days after the laboratory receives your sample. You will see your hormone levels in graphics and numbers on your test result. In the comments, you will also see laboratory comments by Hormone Specialist PhD Dr: you will find Dr analysis of your hormone levels and what to do next.

  • Click the link to see Elite Athlete Metrics Instruction
  • Collect samples from the comfort of your home and post them to our lab.
  • The test is suitable for both adults and children
  • The test must be used within 12 months after the purchase date.
  • The test kit includes a laboratory fee: no additional laboratory cost or tax.
  • Customers are responsible for shipping their samples to the laboratory. 

Hormones play an important role in athletic performance. The Elite Athlete Metrics Profile allows the identification of hormone imbalances or vitamin D deficiency that can affect performance, increase injury risk, or prevent an athlete from competing at their highest level. It is best to start with a baseline before rigorous training begins and to track hormones throughout a training regimen to look for significant changes that can indicate problems and ensure that hormones are optimally balanced before a competition.

The sex hormones and cortisol are tested in saliva, allowing a diurnal assessment of cortisol production at 4-time points during the day. In addition, a full thyroid assessment in the blood spot is included vitamin D.

The optional cardio panel gives athletes a broader glimpse into overall health by measuring triglycerides, cholesterol and insulin. In addition, optional LH helps assess exercise-induced amenorrhea in female athletes, and excessive testosterone supplementation or painkiller use can suppress LH. At the same time, hs-CRP indicates inflammation in the body.

Who benefits from Elite Athlete Profile Testing?

Individuals who:

  • Train for competitions
  • Compete at a high level
  • Feel like they are "hitting a wall"
  • Suffer from nagging or persistent injuries
  • Are interested in seeing how their workouts affect their hormones
When patients have hormone-related symptoms, it is usually not a clear-cut case of one hormone level being abnormal or even one hormone system. Instead, hormones play a role as chemical messengers to wake up the genome in specific target tissues throughout the body. Therefore, it makes sense that all hormone systems work together to maintain a state of balance. This could be likened to the instruments in an orchestra. Playing together in harmony; the overall harmony is affected when one instrument is off-key or playing too loudly or softly (analogous to too much or too little hormone). Similarly, the adrenal, thyroid, and sex hormones work in harmony. When one or more of the hormones in any system becomes unbalanced, this affects the harmony or balance of the whole system. 

Why do you need this test?

Estradiol and progesterone

An excess of estradiol, relative to progesterone, can explain many symptoms in reproductive-age women, including endometrial hyperplasia, pre-menstrual syndrome, fibrocystic breasts, and uterine fibroids. Progesterone deficiency can also result in estrogen dominance symptoms, including weight gain in the hips and thighs, fibrocystic and tender breasts, uterine fibroids, irritability, water retention, and thyroid problems. These symptoms are also seen in some women approaching menopause, whose estrogen levels swing wildly from high to low without the balancing effects of progesterone. If estrogen dominance is not corrected, it can lead to cancers of the uterus and breasts and insulin resistance. With the onset of menopause, when ovarian estrogen and progesterone production declines, a new subset of symptoms can result from low estradiol levels, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, foggy thinking, more rapid skin ageing, and bone loss. Therefore, maintaining appropriate levels of estradiol, adequately balanced with progesterone, at any age is essential for optimal health.

Testosterone

Testosterone levels can also be either too high or too low. Testosterone in excess, often caused by ovarian cysts, leads to conditions such as excessive facial and body hair, acne, and oily skin and hair. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is thought to be caused, in part, by insulin resistance. On the other hand, too little testosterone is often caused by excessive stress, medications, contraceptives, and surgical removal of the ovaries. This leads to symptoms of androgen deficiency, including loss of libido, thinning skin, vaginal dryness, loss of bone and muscle mass, depression, and memory lapses.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)

SHBG is a protein produced by the liver in response to exposure to any type of estrogen, whether produced naturally by the body or consumed as a synthetic oral contraceptive estrogen, estrogen therapy, or as foods or herbs (phytoestrogens). Released from the liver into the bloodstream, SHBG binds tightly to circulating estradiol and testosterone, preventing their rapid metabolism and clearance and limiting their bioavailability to tissues. SHBG gives a good index of the extent of the body's overall exposure to estrogens. The SHBG level is also used to calculate free (unbound) testosterone levels when blood spot is used instead of saliva to measure sex hormones.

 

Dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA-S (DS)

DHEA is mostly found in the circulation in its conjugated form, DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S), is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, and levels generally reflect adrenal gland function. It is a precursor for the production of estrogens and testosterone and is, therefore, normally present in greater quantities than all the other steroid hormones. Its production is highest in the late teens to the early 20s and declines gradually with age. Like cortisol, it is involved with immune function, and a balance between the two is essential. Low DHEA can result in reduced libido and general malaise, while high DHEA can have masculinizing effects on women because it metabolizes androgens, including testosterone. Because of its conversion to estrogens and androgens, it is essential to monitor levels of these hormones, as well as levels of DHEA, during supplementation.

Cortisol

Cortisol is an indicator of adrenal function and exposure to stressors. Under normal circumstances, adrenal cortisol production shows a diurnal variation and is highest early in the morning, soon after waking, falling to lower levels in the evening. Average cortisol production shows a strong ability to respond to stress. Low cortisol levels can indicate adrenal fatigue (a reduced ability to respond to stressors) and leave the body vulnerable to reduced blood sugar regulation and immune system dysfunction. Chronically high cortisol is a consequence of high, constant exposure to stressors, and this has serious implications for long-term health, including an increased risk of cancer, osteoporosis, and possibly Alzheimer's disease.

Free T4, free T3, TSH, and TPO

These tests can indicate the presence of an imbalance in thyroid function, which can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including feeling cold all the time, low stamina, fatigue (particularly in the evening), depression, low sex drive, weight gain, and high cholesterol. Thyroid deficiency can also cause infertility, which is why these tests are included in the Female Fertility Profiles.

Vitamin D (D2, D3)

Vitamin D deficiency is common in obesity and is particularly associated with hyperinsulinemia and visceral fat. Whether by cause or effect, identifying and correcting vitamin D2 and D3 deficiency may improve insulin sensitivity.

Most people are familiar with vitamin D's role in preventing children's rickets and helping the body absorb calcium from the diet.

Recently, research has shown that vitamin D is vital in protecting the body from a wide range of diseases. Disorders linked with vitamin D deficiency include:

  • Stroke
  • Flu
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteomalacia
  • Several forms of cancer
  • Some autoimmune diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Type I Diabetes & Type II Diabetes
  • Breast and Colon Cancer (linked to Vitamin D Deficiency)
  • Depression and even schizophrenia

Vitamin D is actually a prohormone and not technically a vitamin: a vitamin is defined as a substance that is not made naturally by the body but must be supplied in the diet to maintain life processes. But in fact, we make most of our vitamin D by the action of ultraviolet light (sunlight) on the vitamin D originator found in our skin. We only get very small amounts of vitamin D from our diet, although increasingly, it is added to foods eaten by children in an attempt to prevent rickets in the population.

Insulin (IN) Fasting: High fasting insulin levels are a good indicator of insulin resistance, whether or not the patient shows glucose intolerance. Insulin resistance occurs when the cellular response to the presence of insulin is impaired, resulting in a reduced ability of tissues to take up glucose for energy production. Chronically high insulin levels are seen as the body attempts to normalize blood sugar levels. The normal range for fasting insulin is 1 – 15 μIU/ml, but levels between 1 and 8 μIU/mL are optimal.

        Blood levels of insulin 2 hours after a meal are now becoming an important indicator of both diabetes progression and cardiovascular disease risk. In nondiabetics, elevated postprandial insulin may be a better marker of cardiovascular disease risk than fasting insulin. In individuals with diabetes, postprandial levels become lower as diabetes progresses, and beta-cell responsiveness deteriorates, indicating a worsening of blood sugar control. In nondiabetics, whose pancreatic beta-cell function is normal, insulin levels usually return to normal (1-15 μIU/mL) within 2 hours after eating a typical breakfast meal. Elevated postprandial insulin levels have been strongly linked with coronary artery disease risk in nondiabetics. 

        Total Cholesterol (CH): Cholesterol is required by the body as a precursor to steroid hormone synthesis and as a component of cell membranes. However, in excessive amounts, it is a strong component of coronary heart disease risk because of its contribution to coronary atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaque is largely composed of cholesterol. As with other risk factors, high blood cholesterol levels are more significant when other cardiometabolic parameters are already abnormal or in patients with diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The current National Cholesterol Education Program recommendations for total cholesterol levels are: <200 mg="" dl="borderline" 200="" -="" 239="" high="" data-mce-fragment="1">240 mg/dL = high.

        High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP): C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established marker of inflammation and has recently been suggested to be an important contributor to the pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic elements of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Extremely high CRP levels are seen in acute inflammatory states, but the small elevations indicative of the pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic states implicated in the metabolic syndrome require high sensitivity assays and are thus referred to as hs-CRP levels. Levels below 3.0 mg/L are considered to be normal; 3.1—10 mg/L is elevated in the context of CVD risk, and above 10 mg/ L is very high, more likely indicating an acute inflammatory event due to infection or trauma.

        Triglycerides (TG): Triglycerides enter the circulation as the end-product of digesting dietary fat, and they are also synthesized by the liver. They are an important energy source for the body and are stored in fat cells. Elevated blood levels, or hypertriglyceridemia, often found in untreated diabetes and obesity, are an established indicator of atherogenic dyslipidemia. The National Cholesterol Education Program defines fasting triglyceride levels of 150 mg/dL or above as one of the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, although some studies have shown that fasting levels lower than 100 mg/dL should be considered as a more optimal cutoff in coronary heart disease risk assessment. The inflammatory state leading to the development of atherosclerosis may be triggered by "postprandial dysmetabolism," a condition characterized by unusually high levels of glucose and triglycerides after a meal. Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia indicates the presence of remnant lipoproteins, which are believed to promote atherosclerosis and are also linked with insulin resistance and obesity. Several studies have found that triglyceride levels measured 2-4 hours after a meal are highly predictive of cardiovascular events, especially in women. Nonfasting levels >200 mg/dL are suggestive of postprandial dysmetabolism. 

        HDL Cholesterol (HDL): Cholesterol bound to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood is known as HDL cholesterol. A low level of circulating HDL cholesterol is one of the established criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome and has long been regarded as a powerful predictor of cardiovascular disease in both diabetics and non-diabetics. In a large cohort from the Framingham Study, a high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol or LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was associated with increased coronary heart disease risk, and a high HDL cholesterol level was associated with reduced risk in both men and women. Currently, the LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio is regarded as a reliable tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk. While absolute values of each are still considered by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) as the optimal diagnostic indicators, the ratios that doctors and researchers currently accept are as follows: total cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio – optimally below 4; LDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio – optimally below 3. The current NCEP recommendation to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is to maintain an HDL cholesterol level >40 mg/dL in both men and women.

        Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a glycated form of haemoglobin that results from the binding of haemoglobin in red blood cells to glucose in the bloodstream. Once the haemoglobin has bound to glucose, it remains glycated. Circulating red blood cells have a lifetime of 120 days; therefore, the amount of HbA1c at any time reflects the average exposure of red blood cells to glucose over the previous three months. It can consequently indicate impaired glucose tolerance even when occasional fasting plasma glucose measurements are normal.

        Luteinizing hormone (LH): Luteinizing hormone (LH), a glycoprotein hormone produced by the anterior pituitary, is essential for reproduction in both men and women.

        In women, controlled by a negative feedback loop involving several ovarian hormones, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is secreted in pulses from the hypothalamus, which stimulates LH production from the pituitary gland. In a normal menstrual cycle, a surge of LH production lasting around 48 hours occurs at the end of the follicular phase. This sudden burst of LH causes luteinization of the ovarian follicles and triggers ovulation.

        In men, LH acts on the Leydig cells of the testes to stimulate the production of testosterone, which is necessary for sexual function and spermatogenesis. LH levels are useful for the clinical assessment of infertility: low levels in men can result in hypogonadism and insufficient sperm production, while in women, LH levels are used to determine the occurrence of ovulation for couples trying to conceive. High LH levels are seen in polycystic ovarian syndrome and in precocious puberty; levels are similar to those seen in reproductive-age individuals instead of the lower levels normally seen in children.

        LH levels can also be used in diagnosing pathologies of the hypothalamus or pituitary. As women enter menopause, LH levels rise as ovarian hormone production declines, reducing the negative feedback effect on GnRH production. LH testing can help evaluate a woman's menopausal status. Ranges for blood spot LH in premenopausal women (luteal phase) are 0.5—12.8 U/ L, in premenopausal women (follicular phase) 1.6—9.3 U/L, in postmenopausal women 15—64 U/L, and in men 1.0—8.4 U/L

        How to Use 

        blood spot use introduction