Why labs come before anything
A personal research protocol is built from two sources: what you tell us in the intake, and what your blood says. The second one does not flatter. It finds the ferritin that explains the tiredness, the HbA1c that changes which compound leads, the haematocrit that rules a plan out before it is written. Labs are optional at intake — you can complete the questionnaire and upload results later — but the compound layer of every protocol carries a baseline-labs gate, and the coach will not release you past it without the results.
Samples older than six months count as history, not baseline. We still want them — the trend between an old panel and a new one often says more than either number — but the gate needs a fresh draw. Morning, fasted, before training, and before any supplement you take in the morning.
Priority 1: the markers no protocol goes without
| Marker | What it tells us | Why it is non-negotiable |
|---|---|---|
| Full blood count with haematocrit | Red cells, white cells, platelets | A high haematocrit is a hard stop for several plans; anaemia changes the whole cycle. |
| Comprehensive metabolic panel incl. ALT and AST | Liver enzymes, electrolytes, glucose | Liver load before any compound is added; the repeat shows whether the cycle moved it. |
| Cystatin C | Kidney filtration | Our kidney marker of choice — see the house rules below. |
| Lipids incl. ApoB | Cardiovascular risk | ApoB is the particle count that matters; LDL alone hides half the story. |
| HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin | Three-month glucose average, today's glucose, how hard the pancreas works | Decides between the metabolic compounds and sets the GH-axis caution flags. |
| TSH | Thyroid signal | An untreated thyroid problem outruns any protocol; it is a physician conversation first. |
| hsCRP | Low-grade inflammation | Baseline for the immune and repair plans; a raised value changes the lead compound. |
If you can only run seven tubes, run these. They answer the two questions every protocol asks: is it safe to start, and what should lead.
Priority 2: strongly recommended
| Marker | When we insist on it |
|---|---|
| Total and free testosterone, oestradiol (E2), SHBG, LH | Any plan touching the hormonal axis, every man over 40, any woman with cycle changes; LH tells us whether the signal is coming from above or below. |
| Ferritin | Fatigue, heavy training, any woman who menstruates; also our iron-overload check for men. |
| Vitamin D (25-OH) | Everyone north of Madrid in winter; a cheap lever that often explains more than the compound would. |
| IGF-1 | Before any GH-axis plan (CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin, tesamorelin) and repeated at week 6. |
| Ceruloplasmin and serum copper | Whenever GHK-Cu is on the plan — in a GLOW or KLOW combo as much as on its own. We are adding copper; we want to know where it starts. |
| Uric acid, magnesium, B12 and folate | Nice to have; they rarely change the plan but often explain a symptom. |
A plan for a 28-year-old woman with no symptoms and a GLOW pen in mind needs the priority panel plus ceruloplasmin. A plan for a 52-year-old man restarting training after a decade off needs all of it. The intake decides which, and the lab page of your protocol lists exactly what we asked for and why.
Mid-cycle and end of cycle
Baseline is not the only draw. Every twelve-week protocol repeats a short panel at week 6 — typically the metabolic markers (HbA1c, fasting glucose, insulin), liver enzymes, cystatin C, haematocrit and whichever marker the lead compound moves (IGF-1 on a GH-axis plan, lipids on a metabolic one, hsCRP on an immune one). The mid-cycle result is what decides whether the dose holds, steps or stops; the cycle guide walks through those decisions.
The end-of-cycle panel repeats baseline. It is the only honest way to say what the cycle did, and it becomes the baseline for the next decision — which is why we never skip it to save a draw.
The house rules for reading labs
1. Creatine and training make creatinine lie — use cystatin C
Creatinine is a by-product of muscle turnover. More muscle, harder training and creatine supplementation all push it up without the kidneys being any worse, and most of the people we write for have all three. A reviewer reading creatinine alone would flag healthy kidneys as borderline every week. Cystatin C is produced by every nucleated cell at a steady rate and is not moved by muscle or creatine, so it is the kidney marker on every lab list we write. If your doctor's panel came back with creatinine only and you train or take creatine, we will ask for cystatin C before we read kidney function at all.
2. On TRT, haematocrit is the number we watch
Testosterone, prescribed or otherwise, raises red-cell production. A rising haematocrit thickens the blood and is the most common reason a physician adjusts a TRT dose. Any protocol for someone on testosterone reads haematocrit at baseline and at week 6, and a value above the threshold in your document pauses the plan and sends you back to your prescriber — not to your coach — before anything else is decided. Read alongside the lean-mass page if that is you.
3. No organ-support supplements without a lab reason
We are asked, often, whether to add a liver supplement, a kidney tonic or "something for the heart" as insurance during a cycle. The answer is no unless a lab result asks for it. Adding things reflexively muddies the mid-cycle panel — you can no longer tell what moved what — and most of the popular options have their own effects on the very enzymes we are trying to read. If ALT is high at baseline, that is a physician conversation; if it rises at week 6, the compound is the first suspect and the plan changes. A supplement is never the fix for a number we have not understood.
What to do with the results
- Upload them in the Research Protocol Builder as a PDF or a photo of the report; the reviewer reads the originals, not a transcription.
- Include the reference ranges printed by your lab. Ranges differ between countries and labs and we read your value against your lab's range.
- Take the physician copy of your protocol to your own doctor with the results. Their word is final on anything the labs raise; ours is advisory.
- Expect a revised version if anything changes. A new panel usually means a new version of all three documents, and your coach walks you through what moved.
Related reading: the compound pages list the markers specific to each plan — for example GHK-Cu for copper, retatrutide for the metabolic repeats and CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin for IGF-1.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need labs before I can start the intake?
No. Labs are optional at intake and can be uploaded later; the protocol is written with the lab list inside it and revised when results arrive. What you cannot do is start the compound layer without a baseline panel — the coach will not release you past that gate.
Why cystatin C instead of creatinine?
Creatinine rises with muscle mass, hard training and creatine supplementation and makes healthy kidneys look borderline. Cystatin C is unaffected by all three, so it is the kidney marker on every list we write.
My labs are eight months old. Can I use them?
As history, yes, and we want to see them. As baseline, no: anything older than six months counts as history and the gate needs a fresh draw.
Which labs are repeated during the cycle?
A short panel at week 6 — the metabolic markers, liver enzymes, cystatin C, haematocrit and whichever marker the lead compound moves — and a full repeat of baseline at the end. Week 6 decides whether the dose holds, steps or stops.
Should I take a liver or kidney supplement during the cycle just in case?
Not unless a lab result asks for it. Reflexive organ-support supplements muddy the mid-cycle panel and many affect the enzymes we are trying to read. A raised number is a conversation with your physician first.
Want it written for you?
Upload your labs with the intake, or later, and the protocol is written — and rewritten — against them. A reviewer reads every threshold; a coach walks you through the results on WhatsApp. €399, follow-up included.
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