Interleukin-6 in Athletes: What Your Blood Work Is Actually Telling You
Key Takeaways: Interleukin 6 in Athletes • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in athletes should not be interpreted as a simple “inflammation number.”…
-
-
Vitamin C in Athletes: What the Evidence Actually Says About Supplementation and Performance
Key Takeaways: Vitamin C in Athletes • Vitamin C is one of the most commonly used supplements in athletes, but…
-
eGFR in Athletes: Why Your Result May Be Misleading
Key Takeaways: eGFR in Athletes • eGFR in athletes is frequently misinterpreted because standard creatinine-based formulas do not directly account…
-
SHBG in Athletes: What Your Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Results Actually Mean
Key Takeaways: SHBG in Athletes • SHBG matters because total testosterone alone does not always reflect biologically available testosterone. A…
-
Homocysteine in Athletes: What Your Blood Work Is Actually Telling You
Key Takeaways: Homocysteine in Athletes • Homocysteine is not routinely measured in athletes, and athlete status alone is not usually…
-
Free T3 in Athletes: What Triiodothyronine Really Tells You About Your Training State
Key Takeaways: Free T3 in Athletes • Free T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone, and in athletes it can…
-
Free Testosterone in Athletes: Why the Bound Fraction Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Key Takeaways: Free Testosterone in Athletes • Free testosterone may provide clinically useful information when total testosterone alone does not…
-
Triglycerides in Athletes: Why Low Values Are a Sign of Metabolic Fitness
Key Takeaways: Triglycerides in Athletes • Low triglycerides in athletes are often a reflection of training-related metabolic adaptations rather than…
-
HDL Cholesterol in Athletes: What Your “Good Cholesterol” Actually Tells You
Key Takeaways: HDL Chloesterol in Athletes • Higher HDL cholesterol is common in endurance athletes, but HDL should not be…
-
Free T4 in Athletes: What Your Thyroxine Level Actually Means
Key Takeaways: Free T4 in Athletes • Free T4 should not be interpreted in isolation in athletes, because training load,…
-
HbA1c in Athletes: Why Your Blood Sugar Marker May Be Misleading You
Key Takeaways: HbA1c in Athletes • HbA1c in athletes can sometimes be misleading because exercise-related physiology may influence the result…
-
Sleep for Athletes: The Complete Guide to Sleep Disorders, Sleep Science, and Evidence-Based Recovery
Introduction: Why Sleep for Athletes Is a Performance Variable, Not a Lifestyle Choice Sleep is an important recovery and performance…
-
Aldosterone in Athletes: What Your Blood Test Is Actually Telling You
Introduction: Why Aldosterone in Athletes Is Frequently Misinterpreted Aldosterone is a clinically important hormone. Many medications that affect blood pressure…
-
CK-MB in Athletes: Why This “Cardiac Marker” Routinely Rises After Hard Training
Introduction In clinical practice, I may occasionally encounter a situation in which cardiac markers need to be tested in an…
-
Phosphate in Athletes: What Abnormal Values Actually Mean
Introduction Serum phosphate in athletes may provide clinically relevant information in blood work when interpreted in context. Phosphate plays important…
-
The Cortisol Awakening Response in Athletes: What Morning Cortisol Reveals About HPA Axis Health and Overtraining Risk
Introduction In clinical sports medicine, the evaluation of training-related fatigue, recovery capacity, non-functional overreaching and overtraining syndrome remains a clinical…
-
Calcium in Athletes: Muscle Contraction, Bioavailability, Stress Fractures, and the RED-S Connection
Introduction Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, yet it remains among the most consistently under-consumed nutrients…
-
Albumin in Athletes: What Low Levels on Your Blood Test Really Mean
Introduction In my clinical work, I often notice that many patients — and even athletes — associate albumin primarily with…
-
Chloride in Athletes: Interpreting a Neglected Electrolyte
Introduction Chloride is often an overlooked electrolyte in clinical practice. When electrolytes are discussed, the focus is typically on sodium…
-
Stretching for Athletes: What Works, What Doesn’t, and When Isometric or Eccentric Training May Be More Useful
Introduction: Why Stretching for Athletes Deserves a Closer Look Stretching is one of the most widely practiced routines in sport….
