Sn™p00 Performance™ test

Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It is found in red blood cells and comprises four parts or subunits. Normal hemoglobin levels indicate an effective oxygen transportation and circulatory system without conditions such as blood loss or anemia.

Leukocytes, also known as white blood cells, are crucial for the immune system. Showing normal levels of leukocytes suggests that there is a balance within your immune system.  Maintaining that balance is essential since an off-set means that your immune system is taking a hit from either an invading pathogen or from chronic processes within your body. Individuals with higher physical capacity, both in terms of endurance and strength, tend to have a lower quantity of circulating white blood cells at rest.

Thrombocytes, also known as platelets, are small, disc-shaped, colorless fragments of cells in our blood that form clots and thereby stop or prevent bleeding. They are produced in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood for approximately 8-10 days. Normal levels of thrombocytes indicate a balance in your blood clot ability, meaning that you neither have an increased risk of bleeding and bruising, nor an increased risk of harmful blood clots. Studies have revealed that exercise intensity and cardiorespiratory fitness represent critical determinants for platelet activation.

A RBC count, or red blood cell count, measures the number of red blood cells present in a given volume of blood. Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell, responsible for both carrying oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body as well as bringing back carbon dioxide to the lungs to be exhaled.

Erythrocyte volume fraction (EVF), also known as hematocrit, is a measure of the fraction or portion of red blood cells in your blood. EVF is presented as a percentage of the total blood volume. A normal EVF indicates that you have a balanced level of red blood cells in your blood, high enough to provide enough oxygen to all tissues in your body, and low enough to avoid blood clots. In sports physiology, there seems to be a natural correlation between lower hematocrit and higher aerobic capacity. A lower hematocrit in athletes is more often seen in overtrained individuals or cases of iron deficiency.

MCH, or mean corpuscular hemoglobin, is a measurement of the average amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell, estimating how well the tissues and organs are being oxygenated. Normal MCH levels indicate an effective oxygen transport to organs and other tissues.

MCV stands for Mean Corpuscular Volume and is a biomarker measuring the average size of red blood cells in a blood sample. MCV is a natural component when testing your “blood status”. Normal MCV suggests that the production and division of red blood cells are following a normal pattern and procedure.

Glucose is the most common type of sugar in the blood and is the major source of energy for all the cells in your body. Normal levels of glucose mean that your regulating systems for balancing storage and availability of energy are intact. Maintaining normal levels of glucose will increase your chances of a longer and healthier life.

HbA1c, or glycated hemoglobin, is a product from glucose sticking to the hemoglobin on the red blood cells. The more glucose you have in your bloodstream, the more glucose will stick to hemoglobin. Normal levels of HbA1c indicate that your blood sugar levels and blood sugar metabolism are in balance.

C-peptide is a byproduct produced along with insulin in the pancreas. C-peptide by itself does not have a physiological effect. Insulin on the other hand, has the vital role in taking up glucose from the bloodstream to provide the body with energy. Normal levels of C-peptide indicate that your pancreas is producing adequate amounts of insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels.

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. HDL is one of several lipoproteins carrying cholesterol in our bloodstream and is sometimes referred to as the “good” cholesterol. Higher HDL levels indicate a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and suggest better cardiovascular health.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. LDL is one of several lipoproteins carrying cholesterol in our bloodstream and is sometimes referred to as the “bad” cholesterol. Low levels of LDL indicate that you have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, while high levels indicate an increased risk.

The LDL/HDL ratio is the ratio of the levels in the blood of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to high-density lipoprotein (HDL). A normal to low LDL/HDL ratio indicates good cardiovascular health and an increased chance for a long and healthy life.

Cholesterol is one of two circulating lipids in our bloodstream. It is a fat-like substance, present in all cells of your body, acting as a building block in various important structures in our bodies such as cell walls, Vitamin D, certain hormones, and bile acid. Normal cholesterol levels are generally indicative of good overall cardiovascular health.

Triglycerides are one of two types of lipids circulating in our blood. They are stored in fat cells when your body needs to convert excessive amounts of calories into an effective form of energy storage. Normal triglyceride levels indicate that you have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Apolipoprotein A, also known as ApoA1, is a protein that helps in the process of removing bad forms of cholesterol from your body. High levels of Apo A1 indicate better cardiovascular health and a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Apolipoprotein B, also known as ApoB, is a protein within the “bad” cholesterol and the primary driver of plaques that cause atherosclerosis leading up to diseases such as stroke and heart attacks. Low Apolipoprotein B (Apo B) levels indicate better cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The Apo ratio, also known as the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio or ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, is a measure of the balance between the “bad” and the “good” cholesterol. A normal Apo ratio (which is the same as a low ratio) suggests better cardiovascular health, indicating that you have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Creatinine is a waste product that is normally formed in our muscles, excreted in the urine, and used in medicine to monitor and evaluate kidney function. Creatinine is formed through the breakdown of something called creatine phosphate, an energy reserve for the muscles, especially during high-intensity exercise. Creatinine can also be used in conjunction with other markers to assess the body's fluid balance and protein metabolism.

Sodium is an essential mineral and one of the most important and abundant electrolytes in our bodies. Normal sodium levels indicate an overall balance in electrolytes and suggest well-functioning regulations of fluids, blood pressure, muscle function, and normal transmissions of nerve impulses.

Potassium is a mineral found throughout your body that is essential to your health. It is one of the most abundant electrolytes, meaning an electrically charged mineral in the body, helping your nerves to function and muscles to contract. A normal potassium level indicates that your overall electrolyte balance is normal, resulting in a healthy fluid balance, pH balance, nerve function and muscle function.

Calcium is one of the most important and abundant minerals in your body, stored to 99% in bones and teeth. Besides providing structure, it plays an essential role in muscle function and is also important for the transmission of nerve signals, enzyme regulation, and the circulatory system. Calcium is important for maintaining normal blood pressure, a balanced coagulation, and facilitating a regular heart rhythm. Normal calcium levels suggest good bone health and healthy parathyroid glands.

Albumin is one of the body's most important proteins. It is produced by the liver and circulates in our blood. It is by far the most abundant protein in plasma and has several important functions, such as maintaining a normal fluid balance between blood vessels and tissues, binding and buffering acids (which helps the body maintain its pH balance), and assisting in the transport of substances such as hormones, fatty acids, and drugs. Albumin is used in Performance™ to evaluate liver function, grade potential protein deficiency, and evaluate recovery since albumin is associated with the concentration levels of growth hormone in the blood.

ALAT, also known as alanine aminotransferase, is an enzyme primarily found in the liver, but also organs such as the heart and skeletal muscles. It is involved in the metabolism of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. Unlike its sibling ASAT, ALAT is mainly found in the so-called cytoplasm of the liver cells, being more “available” when cell membranes break than ASAT which is bound to the mitochondria. Although science is still working on understanding how this information can be used as a diagnostic tool to differentiate between various strains on the liver cells, ALAT has a longer half-life and therefore shows a greater elevation than ASAT when liver cells are affected. 

Regarding exercise, it is known that strength training can cause elevated levels in healthy individuals. The reason is that ALAT leaks from muscle cells when they are stressed during exercise. The heavier and more intense the exercise, the higher ALAT levels can become. Therefore, ALAT can also be included as one of several measures for how much damage the muscles undergo at a given load, even for elite athletes. Elevated ALAT levels can persist for up to a week, despite being liver-healthy. To distinguish these, we also measure Albumin, which is not affected in the same way by exercise and reveals the liver's function and health.

ASAT, also known as alanine aminotransferase, is an enzyme primarily found in the liver, but also in organs such as the heart and skeletal muscles. It is involved in the metabolism of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. Regarding exercise, it is known that strength training can cause elevated levels in healthy individuals. The reason is that ASAT leaks from muscle cells when they are stressed during exercise. The heavier and more intense the exercise, the higher ASAT levels can become. Therefore, ASAT can also be included as one of several measures for how much damage the muscles undergo at a given load, even for elite athletes. Elevated ASAT levels can persist for up to a week, despite being liver-healthy. To distinguish these, we also measure Albumin, which is not affected in the same way by exercise and reveals the liver's function and health.

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is one out of eight B-vitamins in our body. It is essential for the function of several vital processes in our bodies, such as the production of red blood cells, DNA synthesis, and neurological function. Normal levels of vitamin B12 indicate that your dietary intake provides sufficient building blocks necessary for your overall health. Additionally, B12 influences the body's melatonin, and suboptimal levels can contribute to increased fatigue. Finally, for many years, B12 has been recognized to play a crucial role in cognitive and mental ability, and suboptimal levels could be a contributing factor to the deterioration of those capabilities.

Vitamin D is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin for our bodies, playing an important role in the absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus both critical for building bone. Normal levels of vitamin D indicate that you get enough of the vitamin necessary for optimal bone health and the immune system. Regarding performance, it is known that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of stress fractures, illness, and impaired muscle function. For this reason, it is also important for athletes to be meticulous about getting sufficient minerals such as magnesium to ensure high activation of vitamin D.

Iron is a vital mineral for many important functions in the body such as oxygen transport, brain health and neurotransmitters, energy production, and muscle function. Showing normal iron levels indicate that your intake of iron is adequate as well as the regulating system controlling the absorption, suggesting that your red blood cell production as well as oxygen transportation are healthy and effective. Low levels of iron, also known as iron deficiency, is more common among athletes than in the general public. The reason being that the systemic metabolism of iron dramatically increases during exercise due to a hormone known as Hepcidin. Low levels of iron can seriously affect overall performance.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron when there is excess, and releases it when the body needs it. Although it is not the only protein that binds to and stores iron, most iron is stored by and bound to ferritin. Normal levels of ferritin indicate that the amount of stored iron in the body is within normal ranges, implying normal function in the regulating processes. Maintaining normal ferritin levels together with normal iron levels facilitates an optimal oxygen distribution, increasing stamina and overall vitality.

Transferrin is a protein that plays a critical role in transporting iron in our bodies. Transferrin is produced by the liver, binds to iron in the blood and then transports the iron to various tissues and organs where iron is needed. Normal transferrin levels indicate that your iron transportation is efficient, suggesting a normal iron metabolism.

Iron saturation is a measurement presented in percent, telling you the amount of transferrin (a protein that both binds to and transports iron) that is bound to iron in your blood compared to the total amount of transferrin that is available. Normal levels of iron saturation suggests normal levels of circulating iron in the body.

Folate, or vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin. It plays an essential role in many of the processes in our bodies, including the development and growth of new cells and the synthesis and reparations of DNA. Normal levels of folate indicate that your dietary intake provides sufficient building blocks necessary for your overall health.

Homocysteine is an amino acid associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels can damage blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis and blood clots. Lowering homocysteine through lifestyle changes and/or vitamin supplementation may reduce cardiovascular risk through lifestyle changes and vitamin supplementation.

Magnesium is a mineral found mainly in our bones (60-65%) and inside our cells (35-40%). Normal magnesium levels indicate that you have a healthy magnesium balance in your body, required for the optimal function of various biological processes such as muscle and nerve function, energy metabolism, and DNA synthesis. Magnesium is one of several crucial minerals for the body to perform at a high level, where it has been observed that magnesium and strength highly correlate to one another, in addition to being involved in:

• Regulating calcium by activating vitamin D, crucial for our skeleton
  
  
• Regulating muscle and nerve functions that the body uses to maintain normal muscle function and heart rate (the heart is a muscle)
  
  
• Regulating blood sugar levels and blood pressure
  
  
• All the various ways the body creates and uses energy

Blood Urea Nitrogen is a byproduct formed during the breakdown of proteins and amino acids. Elevated levels of urea may result from overtraining, while low levels can be attributed to low protein intake. The analysis is also used to assess kidney function, our metabolism of proteins and amino acids, and to evaluate water/fluid balance.

TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, is the hormone released by the pituitary gland, regulating the levels of T3 and T4. Normal TSH levels indicate that you have a healthy thyroid gland and a balance in the regulatory system controlling the release of thyroid hormones.

T3 or triiodothyronine is one of the two main hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Its release is regulated by TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. T3 is produced through the conversion of the other thyroid hormone known as T4. Normal T3 levels indicate that you have a healthy thyroid gland and a balance in the regulatory system controlling the release of thyroid hormones. T3 is one of the body’s most important hormones to regulate metabolism.

T4, or thyroxine, is one of the two main hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Its release is regulated by TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. Normal T4 levels indicate that you have a healthy thyroid gland and a balance in the regulatory system controlling the release of thyroid hormones. T4 is one of the body’s most important hormones to regulate metabolism.

Testosterone is a hormone primarily found in males that is responsible for the development of male characteristics. It affects muscle growth, bone density, libido, and energy levels. Low testosterone can cause fatigue, reduced muscle mass, and changes in mood.

SHBG, or sex hormone-binding globulin, is a protein that binds to sex hormones in the blood, and the most important carrier protein for testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and estradiol. Normal levels of SHBG indicate that these circulating sex hormones are in balance. Normal levels also suggest that your liver function is normal and that your thyroid hormone levels are in balance.

Bioactive testosterone refers to the portion of testosterone that is available for use by cells and tissues. It influences muscle development, bone density, libido, and overall well-being. Measuring bioactive testosterone can provide insights into hormonal status and guide appropriate treatment if needed.

Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress. It affects metabolism, immune response, and stress levels. Chronic stress can lead to imbalanced cortisol levels, impacting sleep, weight, and overall well-being. Testing cortisol levels helps evaluate stress response and hormonal balance.

The Testosterone/Cortisol ratio reveals the relationship between the major processes in the body, which, in connection with training, can either be catabolic or anabolic. By observing your Testosterone/Cortisol ratio, one can evaluate how the body responds to exercise.

IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1, is an indirect marker of growth hormone. This means that by measuring IGF-1, we can gain deeper insights into the circulating levels of growth hormone in our bodies. As growth hormone increases, IGF-1 rises. Both growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 are involved in the regulation of muscle mass.

CRP stands for C-reactive protein and is a so-called acute phase reactant. This means that its levels rapidly increase in response to inflammation, deriving from an inflammatory process in itself, an infection or injury. Low CRP levels indicate low levels of systemic inflammation in your body. Higher CRP levels have been associated with reduced performance while lower CRP levels are associated with increased performance.

LD, or lactate dehydrogenase, is the enzyme responsible for converting glucose into lactate (lactic acid) during anaerobic breakdown of glucose. In other words, it's the pathway the body takes to break down sugar when there is a lack of oxygen. One example of when this occurs is during high-intensity exercise, leading to the buildup of lactic acid. Lactate has been observed as one of the parameters that most clearly distinguishes different levels of performance. Elite athletes can use it to evaluate whether they are in the right training zones during a season, and it can be used to indirectly assess how much fat versus carbohydrates you burn during exercise.

CK, or creatine kinase, is an enzyme primarily found in skeletal muscle cells. After strength training, the enzyme leaks into the circulation and reaches its peak after about 24 hours. However, CK levels can remain elevated for up to a week after an intense workout. By measuring CK, one can gain a deeper understanding of whether there is a deficiency in recovery after exercise, and quantify the breakdown of muscle tissue depending on the training session.