Will Brink, columnist and consultant for various health and fitness publications created a primer to introduce the value of regular blood work and help people understand the value of their test results. (You can check out Will Brink and his publications in www.brinkzone.com) I found it very informative, but tediously long (even for a primer-article), so here’s an excerpt:

On topic that seems to be a never-ending source of confusion is blood, or specifically, understanding blood work and which tests to get and why.  Its amazes me that a vast majority of bodybuilders and athletes have no issue spending lots of money on supplements and gym memberships, but won’t spend a cent on blood tests to see what’s going on inside their bodies.   It’s odd considering that hormones that are responsible for whether or not your hard work in they gym is paying off, and if all the supplements you’re taking are actually working!

Perhaps it is the lack of understanding or because of its intangibility most people fail to see the value of blood tests.

Many people are under the impression that blood tests are difficult to read and must be in some secret code that only doctors understand.  The trick is not in reading but in interpreting them, or understanding its relevance.

Laboratories have a reference range for any test such as testosterone or cholesterol.  The test result form has a range with the results next to it so it’s easy enough to read.  For example:  normal testosterone levels range from 300ng/dl to 1200ng/dl.  Mr. Bink’s recent testosterone level is 520 is considered normal as it falls within the range.  So it’s quite easy to read a blood test.  The challenge is understanding why a person has low or high levels and what to do about it, such as run additional tests or consider medication, etc.

Different doctors have different approaches and levels of understanding on test results.  The best combination is an open-minded progressive doctor who works with a patient who has a general understanding of how to read their own blood tests - a partnership, so to speak between doctor and patient.   This reminds me to note to everyone to always ask for a copy of your test results, and not just take the doctor’s word for it when he says, “your blood work looks fine”.

Now that you’re not so intimidated with reading blood tests, now which tests should you have done?  There are more than a 100 routine tests that the laboratory you should check out the following tests regularly at least once a year:

Depending on your age and lifestyle, different blood profiles can be checked.  A consultation with your doctor plus some personal research would be best.  Stay healthy!