Sports Hormone Blood Test, from our experts to you.
Dr Sam Rodgers MBBS, MRCGPChief Medical Officer
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What is a Sports Hormone Blood Test?
Our Sports Hormone Blood Test is a venous blood test (where blood is drawn from a vein in your arm), which covers the main biomarkers a strength trainer would want to test. Our test is for steroid users, bodybuilders, and athletes looking to understand the factors that can influence their performance.
Which hormones are included in a sports blood test?
We've included tests for the core performance hormones: testosterone, oestradiol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (FT4). Imbalances in these hormones can affect your body composition and ability to gain muscle, making it more difficult to get lean. They can also influence mood and motivation, making workouts seem harder than they need to be.
Why is this test for PEDs and steroid users?
Anyone taking any form of testosterone supplement needs to keep track of their general health, especially their red blood cells, liver function, and cholesterol levels. Taking anabolic steroids can cause you to make too many red blood cells, leading to stickier blood that's more prone to clotting. All steroids (but particularly oral steroids) can cause liver inflammation and abnormal cholesterol results where LDL (bad) cholesterol rises and HDL (good) cholesterol falls to below-normal levels.
Our approach to testing for people taking steroids is to reduce harm by helping to highlight the impact of steroid use on your health. Some abnormalities can revert to normal once you stop taking steroids, but others can cause lasting damage, especially if your cycles are long. In particular, hypogonadism, where the testicles shrink and can no longer produce enough testosterone for fertility, mood, and general well-being, is a common and sometimes lasting side-effect of supplementing with testosterone. Our doctors will not judge you, so please tell them as much as possible about your steroid use when you take this test. Read more in our blog: the effects of steroids on the body.
What's Included?
How to prepare for your test?
Special Instructions
Prepare for your Sports Hormone Blood Test by following these instructions. Please take your sample before 10am. Avoid heavy exercise for 48 hours beforehand. Avoid fatty foods for eight hours before your test, you do not need to fast. Take this test two to five days after the start of your period, ideally on day three. It can be taken any time if you do not have periods. Hormonal contraception can affect this test, taking a break from this and using barrier contraception will give more accurate results. If you use hormone gels, pessaries, patches, or tablets, we strongly recommend selecting a venous sample to minimise contamination sometimes seen with finger-prick tests. Otherwise, administer any hormone supplements using gloves, and make sure your fingers have not been in contact with hormone supplements for at least four weeks before taking the test. Hormones can be absorbed deep within the skin even after minimal contact and remain there for weeks despite vigorous handwashing. Do not take biotin supplements for two days before this test, discuss this with your doctor if it is prescribed.