If you’re serious about improving your body composition—whether it’s building lean muscle, shedding body fat, or optimizing performance—regular blood testing is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox.

It’s not just about tracking hormones or cholesterol. Strategic blood testing gives you real data to guide your nutrition, training, recovery, and supplementation. But the question we hear often is:

“How often should I get tested?”

Here’s a breakdown of what we recommend based on your goals, lifestyle, and phase of training.

🩸 Why Blood Testing Matters for Body Composition

• Detect hormonal imbalances (e.g. low testosterone, elevated cortisol, poor thyroid function) that can stall fat loss or muscle gain

• Identify inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or insulin resistance that impact recovery and metabolic efficiency

• Track the effects of diet, supplements, or training blocks on internal health

• Catch issues early before they become roadblocks to progress or health risks

You can only improve what you measure—and bloodwork gives you that internal scoreboard.

🔁 Recommended Testing Frequency

1. General Population (2x per year)

For those training consistently but not in a high-performance phase, testing every 6 months is ideal. This allows you to monitor trends over time, track the impact of seasonal changes (e.g. bulking, cutting), and course-correct before issues escalate.

Best for:

• Lifestyle clients

• Fat loss or muscle gain goals

• No history of hormonal or metabolic dysfunction

2. Active Fat Loss or Muscle Gain Phase (Every 12–16 weeks)

If you’re in a structured body recomposition phase with changes to macros, training intensity, or supplements, test every 3–4 months.

Why? These phases put more stress on your system. Regular testing ensures:

• You’re not suppressing hormones or thyroid

• You’re not overreaching with training

• Your liver, kidneys, and inflammatory markers remain in check

3. On TRT or Hormone Support (Every 8–12 weeks)

If you’re on hormone replacement therapy or using other medical interventions, tighter monitoring is critical. Test every 2–3 months to:

• Ensure safety and efficacy

• Adjust dosage with your prescribing professional

• Minimise long-term side effects

4. Post-Contest or Recovery Phase (6–8 weeks post-show)

After a prep, cut, or aggressive diet phase, test 6–8 weeks post-phase to check:

• Hormonal recovery (Testosterone, LH, Estradiol, Cortisol)

• Thyroid function (TSH, T3, T4)

• Liver and kidney health

• Inflammatory markers (CRP, WBC)

This is essential to set the foundation for your next growth or maintenance phase.

🧪 Key Markers to Monitor

While testing panels can vary, some core markers we recommend tracking for body composition include:

Hormones:

• Total & Free Testosterone

• Estradiol (E2)

• Cortisol

• TSH, Free T3, Free T4

• Insulin & HbA1c

Liver & Kidney Function:

• ALT, AST

• Creatinine, Urea, eGFR

Inflammation & Recovery:

• C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

• White Blood Cells (WBC)

Nutrients:

• Vitamin D

• B12, Folate

• Ferritin, Iron

• Magnesium

🧠 Final Thoughts

Training hard without checking under the hood is like racing a high-performance car without ever popping the bonnet.

At Ascend Performance, we use blood testing not just to detect problems—but to personalize your nutrition, training, and recovery strategies. Whether you're deep in a fat loss phase, aiming for lean muscle gains, or just optimizing long-term health, your bloodwork tells the truth your body might not be saying out loud.

✅ Not sure when to test next or what markers to look for? Reach out to your Ascend coach—we’ll guide you through the process, and if needed, refer you to Elev8 or your preferred bloodwork provider.