Blood values for strength athletes
Blood values show your condition from the inside, past anything the mirror tells you. Training hard shifts some values for a while, muscle and liver markers among them. Look up a value and read its reference range. You also see when a result genuinely needs attention.
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IGF-BP3
IGF-BP3 is the primary carrier protein for IGF-1 and plays a role in regulating growth factor activity. For men, understanding IGF-BP3 levels alongside IGF-1 can help assess muscle maintenance, recovery potential, and overall vitality.
Inhibin B
Inhibin B is a key marker of testicular function in men. Produced by Sertoli cells, it reflects the health of sperm production and may provide important insight into male fertility and gonadal health.
Insulin (Fasting)
Fasting insulin reveals metabolic efficiency and insulin sensitivity. Optimal levels support lean body composition, energy, and metabolic vitality.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
IL-6 reflects immune system activity and inflammation. Keeping levels controlled supports sustained energy and physical resilience.
Intrinsic Factor Antibodies
Intrinsic Factor Antibodies tests for autoimmune causes of B12 deficiency. For men experiencing persistent low B12 despite adequate nutrition, this test may help identify whether pernicious anaemia is preventing proper B12 absorption.
Iodine
Iodine fuels thyroid hormone production, which drives metabolism, energy levels, and overall vitality. Adequate iodine supports peak metabolic performance.
Iron (Serum)
Serum iron fuels oxygen delivery to muscles and organs. Adequate levels support energy, endurance, and the stamina you need for an active lifestyle.
Irregular Antibody Screening
An irregular antibody screening test detects unexpected antibodies in your blood that may react against foreign red blood cells. These antibodies can develop after transfusions, pregnancies, or immune stimulation and are important to identify for transfusion and pregnancy safety.
LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase)
LDH is an enzyme found in every tissue in the body, including your muscles. Its full name is lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). This test measures the amount of LDH in a tube of blood. If cells break down, LDH escapes into the blood. The question that follows is nearly always the same: how high can the value go? There is no fixed answer, because every upper limit belongs to a laboratory method. What does give you a handle is how far your result sits above that particular upper limit.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol measures how much cholesterol sits inside your LDL particles. It does not measure how many particles that is, and that distinction is exactly why a normal LDL in men carrying central fat is often more reassuring than it should be. Under insulin resistance, LDL particles become smaller and denser. It then takes more than one particle to carry the same amount of cholesterol, so at an identical LDL value more particles pass through your artery wall. You only see that difference if you also measure apolipoprotein B. This page is about that discordance, about what testosterone therapy does to your lipid profile, and about what a raised LDL means for you personally.
LDL/HDL Ratio
The LDL/HDL ratio is your LDL cholesterol divided by your HDL cholesterol, and a result below 3.0 is generally considered acceptable. For men this is the number that swings most violently on anabolic androgenic agents, because both halves of the fraction move the wrong way at once: the numerator climbs while the denominator sinks. Those two movements do not add up, they compound. From 3.0 divided by 1.30 to 4.2 divided by 0.60 the result jumps from 2.3 to 7.0: more than three times as high, while neither value doubles. Do not expect much more of it than that: no guideline sets a target for this ratio. Its value lies in your own trend line, not in a cut-off.
LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
LH is a pituitary hormone that directly stimulates testosterone production in men. Monitoring LH levels can help assess whether your testosterone output is being adequately supported by the pituitary gland.
Lactate
Lactate reflects your body's ability to handle metabolic stress. Understanding your levels supports energy management during intense physical activity.
Leukocyte Differential
A leukocyte differential test measures the relative proportions of different types of white blood cells in your blood. It provides a detailed breakdown of your immune cell populations, offering valuable insight into your immune system's function.
Leukocytes (WBC)
The leukocyte count tallies your white blood cells, the ones that tackle infection and inflammation. Unlike haemoglobin or ferritin, this number has no separate male and female reference. At the laboratory that runs the test both use 4.3 to 10.0 x10^9/L. What does stand out in men is which lifestyle factors shift the number in practice. Heavy strength training, chronic sleep debt, sustained stress and above all smoking are the four. Rule those out before you think of anything else.
Lipase
Lipase is a pancreatic enzyme important for men's digestive health. Men are at higher risk for alcohol-related pancreatitis, and monitoring lipase alongside dietary and lifestyle factors supports proactive health management.
Lipoprotein(a)
You train, you do not smoke, your weight is where it should be and your doctor has nothing to say about your cholesterol. And still your father had a stent at fifty-two, and your uncle a heart attack. That gap between your results and your family history often has a name: Lp(a), also written as lpa. Lp(a) is an inherited cardiovascular risk factor that stays invisible on an ordinary lipid panel. Its level is more than ninety percent written into your DNA and does not yield to discipline: no diet, no strength training and no supplement brings this number down. So you have it drawn once. A raised result says nothing about what you did wrong. It does say how tight the values you can actually steer need to be.
Liver Function Test (LFT)
A liver function test provides a comprehensive assessment of liver health, which is particularly relevant for men. Alcohol consumption, high-protein diets, supplement use, and intense physical activity can all impact liver markers, making a full panel essential for men's wellness.
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes are white blood cells central to your defence against viruses and to immune memory. As part of your complete blood count, they show how your immune system responds. A high count often fits a viral infection, while a low count can occur with stress, certain infections or medications.
MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin)
MCH is the average amount of haemoglobin in one red blood cell. Read alongside MCV and haemoglobin, it narrows down why a blood count is abnormal rather than just showing that it is. Learn what your value can mean.
MCHC (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration)
MCHC is the average concentration of haemoglobin inside your red blood cells. It varies least of the three red cell indices, which is precisely why an abnormal value is worth taking seriously. Learn what your value can mean.
MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume)
MCV is the average volume of a single red blood cell, expressed in femtolitres, and the reference range shown on this page runs from 80 to 100 fl. An MCV value of 89 sits squarely in the middle of that range and is an entirely ordinary result for an adult man; in the 20 to 29 age group the median is 89.9 fl, measured at a single South Korean hospital. If your MCV is too low, below 80 fl, your red cells are smaller than average and iron deficiency is the first question. Above 100 fl they are larger instead. One thing to hold on to: a normal MCV does not rule out a deficiency.
Magnesium
Magnesium powers muscle function, testosterone production, and energy metabolism. Optimal levels support strength, endurance, and recovery.
Magnesium (Intracellular)
Intracellular magnesium testing reveals whether your cells have the magnesium needed for muscle power, recovery, and testosterone support.