Athlete Blood Test - Q1 2018 Blood Biomarkers For Professional Triathlete Thomas Gerlach

My body / my blood on January 11, 2018
This post discusses my Q1 2018 Athlete Blood Test. I have links to all my previous posts/tests below. You can save 10% on your own Athlete Blood Test with coupon code: bloodtest10.

Athlete Blood Test (ABT) specializes in blood work for endurance athletes. They have worked exclusively with endurance athletes to understand the specific blood biomarkers that affect performance. They then apply that learning to help athletes proactively manage levels before it can negatively affect training.

Their process is simple:
(1) Order a test online (mine was the Gold panel + add-ons)
(2) Go to a LabCorp facility (at your convenience).
(3) Get the results and analysis via email.

With that I present my Q1 2018 blood report: Thomas Gerlach Q1 2018 ABT Report.pdf

Analysis - My take on MY blood work


As endurance athletes, we push our bodies beyond what they are designed to do and it is important to be proactive and identify deficiencies. Too often as athletes, we are reactionary and dig ourselves into holes before we finally capitulate and seek answers. The reality is that it can take weeks, months, or even years to fix those issues. The goal of my blood testing is to stay proactive and identify minor cracks before they become holes. Hopefully, by reading this, you are also taking the first step in being more proactive. With that being said here is my analysis:

By and large, everything looks good. It should be noted that I took this test after a solid afternoon swim. Hydration is supercritical and anyone that knows anything about kidneys will see the BUN is a little high. I will keep an eye on this for sure, but it is a reminder that although I usually don't drink during swims, maybe it isn't a bad idea. 

I want to briefly touch on a chronic health issue. Many people don't know this but I was diagnosed with ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction) this past summer via a Type C Tympanogram. This means I have negative ear pressure in my right ear. It is a modern miracle that I was even able to compete last year but that is a story for another post. However, I mention this because I started a few different OTC allergy meds to reduce symptoms of the ETD. This may play a role in some biomarkers.

- Testosterone - this number is going to be affected by the midday test as T is highest in the morning. Total Testosterone was slightly lower than the last test. Free T is quite low and is the important T number as it represents the bioavailable T that can be used by the body. Unfortunately, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin is there in excess which literally binds to Free T and inactivates it. 

Last test I indicated I reduced both a calcium supplement and Benadryl (at night) which can have a negative effect on this area. Unfortunately, I went back on both of these due to the ETD. 

I also continued three supplements recommended by another triathlete who has chronicled his story with low-T. They are supposed to help with natural testosterone production in the body and include:
  • Pregnenolone, a naturally occurring building block needed by the body to create testosterone. It is legal today. Here is the current USADA status.
  • Gaia HPA Axis - various natural herbs & plants that are known to help support adrenal health and natural testosterone production, including Ashwagandha Root
  • Zinc - I switched from MgSport's Magnesium to their new product ZMG which has a very bioavailable form of zinc included in it. 
I will continue to supplement with three above, along with working to increase my Vitamin D levels and Magnesium levels. Both of these can help reduce the amount of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which binds all that Free T. If I can reduce SHBG then I should have more Free T circulating.

- B12 back down - I was low in Q1 2017 so I started supplementing with a specific B12 pill. Then I was high on my next report (Q2/Q3 2017) and I went to a standard B pill with a lower total B12. I am lower in B12 again and I will go back to a normal B12 pill in a reduced quantity.

- Iron levels back up but Ferritin high. On the previous test this was low, but with Iron supplementation, reduced workload, and an increased meat intake, I was able to significantly raise it. However, my Ferritin is a little high. This can be dangerous, hence why you have to be careful with Iron supplements and should only take them if you are deficient. This is a great example of how being proactive allows me to readjust my Iron levels to better levels. Although my numbers are still in the optimal range, long-term high levels could lead to liver damage.  

MgSport's new ZMG
Magnesium + Zinc
- White Blood Count back to normal. For the prior test, I was on the tail end of Amoxcillian for 10-days for a middle ear infection. I assume that was the reason for the low WBC and it is nice to see my WBC is back in my normal range as a chronically low number could be an ominous sign.

Magnesium Low!!! - this was my first year training in a southern climate in summer. I have warned people about losing Magnesium stores training in tough conditions and there is no tougher place than Central Florida in the dead of summer. While my Magnesium is still in the normal range, this number fell outside of the optimal range. It takes a long time to build stores so it pays to stay on top of your Magnesium levels before they are a problem.

Vitamin D Low - Within the normal range but not optimal for an endurance athlete. I spent an inordinate amount of time this off-season working on home-improvement projects and staying indoors. This could explain the Vitamin D level being a little low despite living in sunny Florida.

Folate Low - Within the normal range but not optimal for an endurance athlete. Again home-improvement projects may have played a role as I would assess my quality of diet as being sub-par given the lack of availability of a kitchen for proper food prep. This should get fixed naturally with more vegetables in the diet.

Action Plan / Changes:

  • Athlete Blood Testing - Continue quarterly tests.
  • Iron - Switch to every other day iron supplementation.
  • B12 - Switch back to straight B12 pill and consider every other day usage.
  • Vitamin D - Add a 2000IU capsule to midday supplements for a total of 6000IU a day. Consume with fat.
  • Magnesium - Ensure I am taking two capsules every night.
  • Folate - Should be an easy fix without the need for supplementation. I simply need to eat more vegetables.
That is it for Q1 2018. I look forward to seeing progress on my biomarkers and revisiting the BUN in my next test.

Athlete Blood Test Report History:
- January 2018 - Blog Post - Test Results
- June 2017 - Blog Post - Test Results 
- January 2017 - Blog Post - Test Results 

Links:
Athlete Blood Test - use code bloodtest10 to save 10%.
Why MgSport Magnesium by Thomas Gerlach

Supplement Links:
MgSport Magnesium on Amazon - use code  TGMS2017 to save 20%
MgSport ZMG on Amazon - use code  TGMS2017 to save 20%
Heme Iron on Amazon
B12 on Amazon
- Life Extension Pregnenolone on Amazon
Gaia HPA Axis

1 comment:

  1. I came across this post while shopping around for SpeedHound boots. ;) It looks like a phenomenal resource for both amateur and professional endurance athletes. If I had known about it, I would have skipped shelling out $$$ on an integrative doc not covered by insurance. I will definitely try it out toward the end of my marathon training block! Thanks!

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