Decoding Your Bloodwork: What Blood Tests Reveal with Stevie Lyn Smith, RD

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Sep 19, 2024

Stevie Lyn Smith, a Registered Dietitian and specialist in sports nutrition, shares her expertise on how athletes can use bloodwork to enhance performance and health. She emphasizes the importance of monitoring key biomarkers like vitamin D, B12, and iron. Stevie also discusses the significance of regular blood tests every 3-6 months to detect nutritional deficiencies and manage overtraining. With tips on natural testosterone boosting and understanding cortisol's impact on stress and performance, she provides valuable insights for any athlete looking to optimize their training.

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ADVICE

Blood Test Timing

Get a blood test after a downtime or 3-4 weeks post-goal race.
Metrics stabilize ~2 weeks after a major effort like a marathon.

INSIGHT

Data Obsession

Blood tests are tools, not dictators of training.
Avoid obsessing over metrics; prioritize overall well-being and training context.

ADVICE

Key Biomarkers

Focus on key biomarkers: vitamin D, B12, iron, stress markers, hormones.
Consider symptoms and context alongside numerical results.

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When's the last time you got bloodwork done?

Stevie Lyn Smith is a Registered Dietitian on a mission to educate and coach athletes on how to fuel their goals without sacrificing health and happiness.

As a board certified specialist in sports nutrition, Stevie Lyn has helped hundreds of athletes fuel to improve performance, energy levels, and recovery– without feeling guilt or restriction.

In this episode, we talk about:

Using bloodwork as a tool for performance and overall health
How bloodwork can help identify nutritional deficiencies and overtraining
Ideal timing for bloodwork testing
Key biomarkers for endurance athletes, including vitamin D, B12, and iron
Markers related to stress, muscle recovery, and inflammation
Testosterone and estrogen in both men and women
Reducing the risk of overtraining
Why to get regular bloodwork every 3-6 months as an athlete

If you like this episode, go to your podcast player and scroll back to find past episodes on nutrition and performance.

Links & Resources from the Show:

Stevie on Instagram
Stevie's website
Real Fuel Podcast
Real Fuel Group Coaching and Stevie's membership program
Learn more about running nutrition for free with our free nutrition myth busting resource.

Thank you to 2Before!

We are supported by 2Before, a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrants designed to increase endurance, manage inflammation, support immunity, and promote adaptation. 2Before helps to boost performance by increasing blood flow, making it more efficient for the body to pump oxygenated nutrient-rich blood into the muscles.

So, if you want to try to boost your performance and immune system, use code JASON for 30% off 20 packs and multi-serve packs at 2Before.com.

Thank you to 2Before for supporting Strength Running!

Thank you DrinkLMNT!

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