Recommended Analytical Procedures

As a health consultant specializing in human performance and clinical sports nutrition, I routinely engage with a wide variety of clients who express enormous variation in body chemistry, origin of descent, body composition and knowledge in health, fitness and nutrition.

On a one to one basis, my initial goal is to objectively determine for each individual their functional health status, athletic condition and predetermined genetic disposition. This is achieved through a personal interview, a mandatory fitness assessment and an eclectic variety of functional health assessments and screening procedures outlined below.

1) Fitness Assessment (Human Performance Centre)

• Body composition analysis (lean mass, bodyfat %, lean mass/bodyfat ratio and hydration status)
• Muscle strength
• Muscle endurance
• Aerobic capacity
• Flexibility
• Joint motility (range of motion)
• Gait & neuromuscular balance
• Blood pressure
• Heart rate variability (changes in beat-to-beat intervals that occur between consecutive heartbeats as measured by an electrocardiogram [ECG]; low levels may indicate an electrically unstable myocardium))
• Resting heart rate
• Height & weight (centimeters & kilograms)
  

2) Body Type (Questionnaire)

• Somatotype (metabolic rate & body shape)
• Blood type (A, B, AB, O)
• Chronotype (sleep-wake cycle & circadian rhythms)
• Ethnic origin (effects of evolution & adaptation)
• Gland dominance (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, gonads)
• Autonomic nervous system (sympathetic versus parasympathetic dominance)
• Ayurvedic Constitution (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)
• Functional Type (form created through exercise and sport training)
• Metabolic Type (helps determine quantify of fats, proteins and carbs)
• Sport Type (an analysis of your character revealed in sport)

3) Hair Analysis (Analytical Research Labs)

• Mineral deficiency
• Mineral ratio’s & excess minerals
• Heavy metal toxicity (lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, mercury, inorganic copper)
• Source determination (source or cause of heavy metal contamination)

4) Blood Chemistry (Medical Doctor/Lab Analysis)

Functional Risk Markers For Heart & Coronary Artery Disease

• Homocysteine (B6, B12, Folic acid & Betaine)
• High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hr-CRP)
• Oxidized LDL (fat-soluble antioxidants)
• Lipoprotein (a) (collagen/vitamin C)
• Serum cholesterol > 168 mg/dl
• LDL/HDL ratio > 3:1
• Triglycerides
• Fibrinogen
• Prothrombin time (blood clotting)
• Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
• Myeloperoxidase (MPO)

ORAC Test (oxygen reducing absorbance capacity)

Antioxidants oppose and control oxidation, and in doing so they become prooxidants themselves and/or are significantly depleted. The ORAC test was developed to measure the buffering capacity of antioxidants in the blood. Plasma is removed from a patient and exposed to an oxidant. The physician then looks at the “resistance” capacity of the plasma to the oxidant, which indirectly measures redox capacity. This information then gives the practitioner feedback and insight about the antioxidant status of the blood.

Metabolic Status and Protein Chemistry

• Glycosylated hemoglobin (reduced oxygen transfer)
• Essential & metabolic fatty acids (red blood cells)
• Plasma glutamine concentration (over-training)
• Creatinine (kidney function)
• Blood urea nitrogen BUN (protein concerns)
• Glucose tolerance test (blood sugar stability)

Standard Iron Status Hormones

• WBC Serum ferritin DHEA sulfate
• RBC Serum iron Testosterone/cortisol
• Glucose Hematocrit Thyroid (see panel)
• Uric acid Hemoglobin Somatomedin-C (IGF-1)
• Liver enzyme panel Transferrin saturation Fasting Insulin
• Immune cell panel Mean corpuscular volume Estrogens
• Immunoglobulins Total iron-binding capacity Parathormone (parathyroid)

Thyroid Panel Assessment

• TSH
• Basal Temperature Test
• T-4 Panel (Total T-4, T-3 Uptake, Free Thyroxine Index)
• T-3 Total
• Antiperoxidase (microsomal) antibody

5) Urine & Saliva pH

• Self-test to measure acid/alkaline balance
• Saliva hormone assessment
• Urine indican (elevation signals putrefactive reactions)

6) Thyroid Temperature Home Test

• Low temperature (<97.5º F) associated with hypothyroidism
• Axilla (armpit) temperature measured over three days

7) Chiropractic Exam (Chiropractor)

• Inspection of spinal column and X-ray
• Assessment of joints & musculoskeletal system
• Drug-free approach for treating pain & injuries
• Exercise protocol for injuries, balance & posture
• Diet and supplement information

8) Exercise Protocol Review (Qualified Personal Trainer)

• Objectives (what you want to achieve)
• Execution (exercise technique)
• Timing of exercise (am/pm)
• Cross-training (exercise variation)
• Frequency (workouts per week)
• Intensity and volume (how hard & how much)
• Exercise specificity (tailored to sport, objectives & gender)
• Periodization (training cycles, variance of intensity & volume)
• Tempo (lifting rate & speed)

9) Detailed Dietary Analysis (Sports Nutrition Consultant)

• Quality and quantity of food
• Number of meals per day (food partitioning)
• Water ingestion (amount & source)
• Beverages consumed (tea, coffee, alcohol, soft drinks, etc…)
• Acid/alkaline ratio (40%/60%)
• Micronutrient density (vitamins & minerals)
• Live (raw food) vs. cooked (methods)
• Biological value & amount of protein (grams per day)
• Glycemic index & Density of carbohydrates (simple vs. complex)
• Omega-6 & omega-3 fatty acid ratio
• Macronutrient percentage (protein, fats & carbohydrates)
• Pre-workout & Post-workout meal assessment

10) Medication, Recreational Drugs, Doping Agents & Supplements

• OTC & prescription (frequency & duration)
• Timing & dosage (circadian rhythms)
• History of use, abuse & side effects
• Quality control (Brand Name)
• Patterns of addiction (personality tracts/genetic predisposition)

Next, I identify the personal objectives of each client and then design a practical lifestyle strategy for the achievement of their goals. This always includes the addition and/or modification of the following composite and multi-dimensional Life-Plan.

• A structured one hour exercise program (5 days per week), which emphasizes a brief warm-up period, resistance training, abdominal/lower back exercise, aerobic conditioning and a complete body stretch.

• A compatible dietary protocol consisting of whole non-contaminated natural food from both plant and animal origin (preferably organic) based on ancestral and traditional evolutionary patterns, biochemical tolerance and the science of biological medicine

• Dietary supplements featuring essential micronutrients, mixed source antioxidants, whey protein isolate, engineered meal replacements, creatine monohydrate, HMB, L-glutamine, D-ribose and/or a variety of accessory nutrients and selected medicinal agents (if required).

Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst

As always, stay well and live free!

Dr.C