Episode 40 of The Mike O’Hearn Show was published on Generation Iron‘s YouTube channel on April 7, 2023. The show’s namesake cut a cold open to express this episode’s importance within the show’s tenure. It featured O’Hearn chatting with Dr. George Touliatos — also known as “Dr. Testosterone” — about analyzing blood test results.
Blood work is a recurring theme throughout The Mike O’Hearn Show and something O’Hearn advocates his audience get done themselves to offer them a better understanding of their overall health. Additionally, the metrics shown by someone’s blood work can enable them to make more informed decisions regarding their health or actions toward a specific goal. Check out the entire interview in the video below:
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
What to Look For in Blood Work
The first item Dr. Touliatos looks at when analyzing a blood panel is the complete blood count (CBC), a tabulated total of the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets from a given sample. According to Dr. Touliatos, the CBC informs how much stamina and endurance an athlete can have.
Per StatPearls, the red blood cells are responsible “transportation of gases and nutrients throughout the human body.” (1) Higher red blood cell counts mean the body will have more nutrients and oxygen delivered throughout more expediently compared to lower red blood cell counts.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Chris Bumstead Says He’d Beat Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Fantasy Bodybuilding Contest: “He’s Not in Shape Enough”]
Dr. Touliatos remarked that performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) function is often to increase the red blood cell count to improve an athlete’s stamina. However, the risks related to having too high of a red blood cell count involve increased viscosity — the thickening of the blood — which can lead to blood clots. This can be exacerbated by dehydration.
For patients who are anemic, meaning they do not have lower red blood cell counts, Dr. Touliatos suggests they take injectable vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron with vitamin C on an empty stomach. Vitamin C allows the body to absorb iron better to combat anemia.
Three Blood Panels Beyond CBC
The three blood panels Dr. Touliatos analyzes beyond the CBC provide information about the liver, the kidneys, and the heart. The panel for the liver assesses the level of urea in the blood, which is a “waste product made when your liver breaks down protein.” (2) According to MedlinePlus, the liver panel measures “different enzymes, proteins, and other substances made by the liver. These tests check the overall health of your liver.” (3)
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Frank Zane’s Advice to Competitive Bodybuilders: “Don’t Stay Peaked”]
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the blood panel for the kidneys determines “how well the kidneys remove waste, toxins, and extra fluid from the blood” and measures “the amount of creatinine in the blood. If the kidneys are not working as they should, serum creatinine level goes up.” (4) For reference, creatinine is a compound produced by the metabolism of creatine (a compound formed in muscle metabolism) and excreted in the urine.
The third blood panel analyzes the lipids heart — the good cholesterol (HDL), the bad cholesterol (LDL), and total cholesterol. HDL is considered good because it helps clean the arteries, whereas LDL is considered bad because it clogs the arteries. Per Dr. Touliatos, only about 20 percent of an individual’s cholesterol comes from food intake. Their genetic predisposition primarily determines the rest.
Be sure to watch the entire interview with Dr. Touliatos to hear how he analyzes each blood panel and what he recommends for adjustments when necessary.
More Bodybuilding Content
- Hunter Labrada on Mindset: “Framing Everything We Do in the Gym as a Practiced Skill”
- Derek Lunsford Trains Back and Biceps with Ronnie Coleman
- Watch Shaun Clarida Do FST-7 Training For the First Time with Hany Rambod
References
-
Barbalato, L., & Pillarisetty, L. S. (2022). Histology, Red Blood Cell. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
- Blood Urea Nitrogen – Health Encyclopedia – University of Rochester Medical Center . (2023). Retrieved 7 April 2023, from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=urea_nitrogen_serum#:~:text=A%20blood%20urea%20nitrogen%20(BUN,your%20body%20in%20your%20urine.
- Tests, Medical. “Liver Function Tests: Medlineplus Medical Test”. Medlineplus.Gov, 2021, https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/liver-function-tests/#:~:text=Liver%20function%20tests%20(also%20known,overall%20health%20of%20your%20liver. Accessed 7 Apr 2023.
-
Kidney Testing: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved 7 April 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/kidney-tests.html#print
Featured image: @drgeorgetouliatos on Instagram