Jsem sportovec — Sports Check-Up

Athletic performance panel combining blood count, metabolic markers, iron status, vitamin D, thyroid TSH, and magnesium. Identifies the nutritional deficiencies and metabolic issues that most commonly limit training capacity. At 557 CZK (~22 EUR), a focused sports screen at a fraction of specialist clinic pricing.

This panel targets the biomarkers most relevant to athletic performance and recovery. The complete blood count screens for anaemia — even mild iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglobin at the low end of the normal range) impairs oxygen-carrying capacity and reduces VO2max, with measurable performance decrements before clinical anaemia is diagnosed. Ferritin assesses iron stores independently of haemoglobin. Sports medicine guidelines suggest athletes maintain ferritin above 30-50 ng/mL for optimal performance — substantially higher than the 15 ng/mL threshold used for diagnosing iron deficiency in the general population. Female athletes, endurance athletes, and vegetarian athletes are at highest risk of depletion. Vitamin D status affects muscle strength, bone health, immune function, and injury recovery. Meta-analyses show associations between vitamin D levels above 75 nmol/L and reduced injury risk in athletes. At Prague's latitude, supplementation is needed from October through March. TSH screens for thyroid dysfunction, which can masquerade as overtraining syndrome — fatigue, declining performance, increased resting heart rate, and mood disturbance are shared symptoms. The lipid panel and glucose provide metabolic context. Magnesium and calcium are critical for muscle contraction, nerve function, and bone health — magnesium losses through sweat are significant during prolonged exercise. Creatinine is relevant for athletes because intense training increases creatine phosphate turnover, which can raise baseline creatinine — knowing an athlete's baseline prevents false-positive kidney disease diagnoses. At 557 CZK (~22 EUR), this panel provides focused athletic screening at far less than the 100-200 EUR charged by sports medicine clinics for equivalent panels.