We talk about the idea of checking in on your bloodwork and doing those annual checkups in the offseason—usually around October and November—but we wanted to mention it now that the season is underway for many of us as well. The offseason is the best time for those pesky annual checkups and appointments, but there is also something to be said for checking in on your bloodwork in particular while you’re in the midst of training and racing season. I think it’s helpful to understand how your body is reacting to your normal training load, rather than just testing when you’ve had time to fully recover—and having done this in past years, I can say that I’ve definitely seen big differences between the tests!
Consider this my PSA to also not put any other diagnostics off until the end of the season—dentist visits, going to the doctor or physio for a nagging injury, et cetera. Think proactive, avoid reactive.
We used InsideTracker long before they ever sponsored the podcast and have used them since we stopped working with them—and we like the service so much that we still use our own code to get testing done. (We also haven’t been sponsored by them in years but the link still works for 10 percent off, and it’s still the best service to use, thanks to the ease of booking and the mobile blood draw where they come to you!)
Having bloodwork done by InsideTracker has also allowed us to then get our doctor to requisition follow-up bloodwork after he saw our results. Yes, this is annoying and a huge failing in terms of public health that you have to show that there’s a problem before you can get bloodwork approved. But since that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, if you do have the ability to do your own detective work, it’s well worth it. In Canada, the other alternative is to find a naturopath or other specialist to requisition a more intensive blood panel, but that involves paying a naturopath and typically still requires you to be paying a deductible even if you have insurance.
The convenience of mobile blood draw, again cannot be overstated. Having it done at home in minutes versus sitting in a waiting room for an hour? No contest, especially during busy racing/training blocks.
And as I said at the top of this… I do think getting tested during your normal training/racing season is a good idea. During your offseason, certain markers may have shifted as you’ve recovered. In the past, I’ve noticed that my iron is way more tanked during a training cycle than it is in my offseason, which is really good information to have. Hormone markers like testosterone may be impacted by training, so it’s good to know how much of a dip, if any, happens during the season versus the off-season. There are also some markers like vitamin D that may chance seasonally. And of course, plenty can change since November! Having these two points on the map—the in-season and off-season results—can help you, a doctor, or a naturopath/dietitian/other expert really get a sense of how your body responds to training and racing, and how you can best support all of your goals.
One caveat: I’d aim to do bloodwork on a normal training week, not too close to an A race. Look for a week where training volume is average—not a super intense week or a rest week, and not right after your big race. For example, if I’m racing 6/17 and Peter has a race 7/10. I’d schedule our bloodwork for right around 7/2, so I’ll be recovered and back to regular training volume, but Peter won’t be tapering for his racing yet. You also kind of have to know yourself here: If you’re someone who would see a result that’s a little off and freak out, maybe wait until a week post-race to do the testing. Personally, I actually don’t want to get results back the week before the race—if there are any markers off, that won’t be enough time to ‘fix’ anything and will only serve to stress me out heading into the event. So during the season, it is important to consider that, and as long as you’re feeling fine, you can likely skip stressing yourself out until after your big race! It’s sort of akin to looking at your HRV data right before a race—just say no to getting any new information about yourself on race week when you can avoid it.
