Prepping for Your Marek Health Blood Work

WHY IT MATTERS: Routine blood work is vital in optimizing your health, and it’s an essential starting point in your Marek Health journey. However, failing to prepare for blood work properly can skew your results.

From following fasting guidelines and ensuring you’re well-hydrated to considerations related to specific supplements and medications, here we share the best ways to prepare for your Marek Health blood work to get the most accurate results.

Fasting Before Blood Work

Many blood tests require fasting, meaning you can’t eat or drink anything besides water for 8-12 hours beforehand. Why? Because fasting helps you get the most accurate results.

Nutrients in food and drinks are absorbed into your bloodstream. Micronutrients, carbs, protein, and fat levels in your food can skew tests that measure the nutrients in your blood. If you didn’t fast, inform your Patient Care Coordinator during your lab review.

Hydration is Key

Being well-hydrated is vital for a smooth blood work appointment.  Drinking enough water the day before and the day of your blood work keeps your veins well-hydrated, making them easier to find. We recommend drinking at least two glasses of water before your blood draw for optimal results.

Special Considerations

Exercise

Vigorous exercise a day or two before blood work can falsely elevate liver enzymes. Avoid heavy resistance training and higher-intensity CrossFit-style workouts before your lab draw. Cardio and lighter-weight exercises are less likely to impact results.

Biotin Supplements

High levels of biotin in your blood can cause significantly incorrect results in some lab tests and lead to falsely high or low results. If you take biotin, which may be in yourmultivitamin or a hair-skin-nails supplement, we recommend avoiding it for 72 hours before your blood draw.

Thyroid Medications

If you take a thyroid medication like NDT (Armour), Liothyronine (T3), or Levothyroxine (T4), postpone your morning dose until after the blood draw. Taking your morning dose before your blood test may result in false thyroid test readings. 

TRT/HRT

As with thyroid medications, taking your morning dose of testosterone, progesterone, or estradiol before blood work can cause false readings. If you schedule your blood draw in the morning when you usually administer testosterone, progesterone, or estradiol, postpone your dosing until after the blood draw.

Does My Menstrual Cycle Affect My Lab Results?

Pre-menopausal women experience fluctuating hormonal levels throughout their menstrual cycles. We recommend doing blood work at the same point in your cycle each time for the most consistent comparisons. The easiest way to gauge this is by tracking your menstrual cycle with an app like Flo. 

Labs are best drawn on day 21 of your cycle unless otherwise noted by your Patient Care Coordinator. Note that day 1 of the cycle is the first day of bleeding. Be ready to share what day you are on in your cycle when getting blood work done.

The Day of Your Marek Health Blood Work

On the day of your appointment, please bring the following:

• Your photo ID

• A printed or electronic version of your lab requisition form

You don’t need to bring any additional payments, insurance cards, or forms of identification.

Start Your Marek Health Journey

After following these steps, you’ll be prepared to get the most out of your Marek Health diagnostic labs. Ready to get started? Schedule a free discovery call today. 

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your wellness routine.