Essential Bloodwork Pre, Mid, and Post Cycle

Submitted by RonnyT on Tue, 2021-04-20 16:00

To determine if your cycle is working efficiently or if the doses you are taking are appropriate for you as an individual, it is crucial to run bloodwork and testing. These 15 tests should be run pre-cycle, mid-cycle, and post-recovery. Some of these may need to be retested several times if they have shown problematic results. Running these tests is the only way to evaluate your cycles effect medically and adequately on your body's inner workings. Meaning that there is more to consider than just progress pictures or measuring tape and the scale. There are more tests that can and should be run, but you should consider these 15 tests mandatory.

Cortisol, Total - Cortisol is made by your adrenal glands. Abnormally low or high levels of cortisol could lead to severe disorder of the adrenal glands if not treated.
 
DHEA Sulfate (DHEA-S) - serves as a building block for making testosterone and estrogen. A DHEA-S test measures the amount testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream.
 
Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) - This test is used to help diagnose growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or, less commonly, growth hormone excess; to evaluate pituitary function; to monitor the effectiveness of GH treatment.
 
Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 (IGFBP-3) – the test is administered to indicate whether someone is producing an average amount of human growth hormone. In this way, the IGFBP-3 test is used to check for pituitary gland disorders and abnormalities in growth hormone production.
 
T3, Free - The T3 test measures triiodothyronine in blood and is used to assess thyroid function. The test can help doctors diagnose hyperthyroidism. T3 stimulates skeletal muscle growth by increasing the number and diameter of the muscle fiber.
 
T4, Free - T4 is produced by the thyroid gland. T4 levels are essential because T4 increases numerous enzymes that produce energy for the body. A T4 test can help ascertain what type of problem is affecting your thyroid.
 

TSH (thyrotropin) - TSH stands for thyroid-stimulating hormone. A TSH tests measures this hormone. Abnormally high or low TSH levels can indicate that your thyroid isn’t working correctly. 
 
Testosterone, Free and Weakly Bound - Free and weakly bound testosterone (FWBT), also called bioavailable testosterone, reflects your biologically active, circulating testosterone.
 
Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)  - An HbA1c test may be used to check for diabetes or prediabetes in adults. 
 
Fasting Insulin - A Insulin Fasting Blood Test is used to diagnose and treat various disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, including diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia.
 
CBC - Measures red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets (cells that help your blood clot). Anabolic steroid users may experience testosterone-induced polycythemia (“sludging”), which means the blood can become thicker, possibly leading to blood clots forming in the bloodstream.
 
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel  - Provides information about the body's fluid balance, electrolytes levels like sodium and potassium, and how well the kidneys and liver are working.
 
Lipid Panel - Also called a complete cholesterol test, includes the four types of lipids (fats) in your blood: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and Triglycerides. High cholesterol in the blood may be deposited as plaques on blood vessels' walls, increasing numerous health problems such as heart disease and stroke.
 
GGT - a Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) test measures GGT levels in the blood. GGT is an enzyme found primarily found in the liver. When the liver is damaged, GGT may leak into the bloodstream. High levels of GGT in the blood may be a sign of liver disease. GGT is a vital value that is not included in the comprehensive metabolic panel.
 
PSA - used to screen for prostate cancer by measuring the prostate-specific antigen (PSA).