KISS: Staying Healthy and Bloodwork
I'll start with bloodwork since this is what confuses people most often. First off, find a good place to order labs. I use Dr Says, they go through LabCorp and I haven't seen anyone offer cheaper tests. The only downside is the site is kind of a pain to use. You have to select each individual test manually since their pre-made panels are pretty limited, if they even exist at all.
What you want to know is what to look for in each panel and why we get them. I’m not going into every marker, just the ones that tend to get messed up from anabolic use. If anything else is out of range beyond this, go talk to your doctor.
There might be some typos and shit in here but at least you know it’s real and not AI slop.
Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor that can also make people mildly anemic, which helps lower RBC and HCT while managing blood pressure. Running it at 10mg and swapping out your ARB or other BP med can cover both issues. Just talk to your doctor first since ACE inhibitors can come with their own side effects.
If you train hard and use creatine, your BUN and creatinine will be higher. That’s normal. Take a few rest days before your labs. If you’re big and muscular, anything under 1.5 is generally fine. Once you’re closing in on 1.9 or above, that’s a red flag for kidney stress even in big lifters.
If you’re on something like enalapril, expect your creatinine to go up by about 30 percent, that’s normal.
Kidney health is simple. Stay hydrated, keep blood pressure in range, and take 8g astragalus root extract AM and PM while on cycle. It really helps. Bulk Supplements has big bags of the stuff pretty cheap.
For glucose, try to stay under 90. That’s largely genetic but heavily tied to body fat. The leaner and more metabolically healthy you are, the better your numbers. Don’t turn into a lard ass while bulking. Keeping body fat under control makes everything easier.
If fasting glucose is high, start with 500mg berberine pre-1-2 meals per day. Work up to 3 meals if needed. I take 500mg before bed and my fasting glucose stays in the mid 70s. If you’re diabetic and need prescription meds, use them. I’ve noticed Reta helps fasting glucose a lot too, and honestly might be a better first option than berberine since berberine and metformin can lower IGF-1 a bit.
Electrolytes should always fall within the normal range. If potassium or sodium look weird, talk to your doctor.
Add a GGT test for the full picture since that shows real liver stress, not just inflammation.
Make sure you’re staying hydrated and keeping blood pressure normal. High blood pressure will absolutely destroy your kidneys over time.
600mg Red Yeast Rice extract with CoQ10 AM and PM
600mg Citrus Bergamot AM and PM
500mg Berberine before bed
4g combined EPA/DHA daily, split with fatty meals
Ezetimibe 10mg RX AM
Niacin 500mg before bed
That combo keeps my numbers solid. I don’t see LDL go above 85. On cruise, HDL rises into the mid 40s, LDL drops into the 30s, and ApoB stays mid-40s. ApoB is the big one to watch, get it tested.
Insulin 004333
Glucose, Plasma 001818
These are general markers for metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Same advice as before on keeping glucose in check.
Homocysteine 706994
If these come back high, you’re probably shooting some rough gear. Carrier oils and solvents matter a lot. Avoid ethyl oleate and stick with natural oils, just not peanut oil. MCT oil works great for most people.
600mg Red Yeast Rice extract with CoQ10 AM and PM
600mg Citrus Bergamot AM and PM
500mg Berberine before bed
Ezetimibe 10mg AM
Niacin 500mg PM
NOW Foods Gamma E Complex 1 cap AM and PM with meals
Nature’s Way Alive! Max3 Multivitamin 1 cap AM and PM with meals
Ester-C 1g 4x daily with meals
NOW B-100 Complex 1 AM with food
TUDCA 300mg AM and PM
NAC 1g AM and PM
Astragalus 8g AM and PM
Enalapril 10mg daily
K2 + D3 (5000IU) AM with food
2.5mg Oral Minoxidil daily
Topical RU-58441 PM
DermaPen 0.75mm weekly
Ketoconazole shampoo 3x weekly
I'll start with bloodwork since this is what confuses people most often. First off, find a good place to order labs. I use Dr Says, they go through LabCorp and I haven't seen anyone offer cheaper tests. The only downside is the site is kind of a pain to use. You have to select each individual test manually since their pre-made panels are pretty limited, if they even exist at all.
What you want to know is what to look for in each panel and why we get them. I’m not going into every marker, just the ones that tend to get messed up from anabolic use. If anything else is out of range beyond this, go talk to your doctor.
There might be some typos and shit in here but at least you know it’s real and not AI slop.
CBC with Differential 005009
Main markers you care about here are RBC, HCT, and HGB. These will nearly always be high. That alone isn’t necessarily bad. Drink plenty of water before your labs, at least close to a gallon. The idea isn’t just to make your numbers look good for the test day, but all the time. If HCT starts getting over 55 percent while you’re hydrated, it’s smart to look into phlebotomy or maybe enalapril.Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor that can also make people mildly anemic, which helps lower RBC and HCT while managing blood pressure. Running it at 10mg and swapping out your ARB or other BP med can cover both issues. Just talk to your doctor first since ACE inhibitors can come with their own side effects.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel 322000
The markers here are Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, eGFR, and Electrolytes.If you train hard and use creatine, your BUN and creatinine will be higher. That’s normal. Take a few rest days before your labs. If you’re big and muscular, anything under 1.5 is generally fine. Once you’re closing in on 1.9 or above, that’s a red flag for kidney stress even in big lifters.
If you’re on something like enalapril, expect your creatinine to go up by about 30 percent, that’s normal.
Kidney health is simple. Stay hydrated, keep blood pressure in range, and take 8g astragalus root extract AM and PM while on cycle. It really helps. Bulk Supplements has big bags of the stuff pretty cheap.
For glucose, try to stay under 90. That’s largely genetic but heavily tied to body fat. The leaner and more metabolically healthy you are, the better your numbers. Don’t turn into a lard ass while bulking. Keeping body fat under control makes everything easier.
If fasting glucose is high, start with 500mg berberine pre-1-2 meals per day. Work up to 3 meals if needed. I take 500mg before bed and my fasting glucose stays in the mid 70s. If you’re diabetic and need prescription meds, use them. I’ve noticed Reta helps fasting glucose a lot too, and honestly might be a better first option than berberine since berberine and metformin can lower IGF-1 a bit.
Electrolytes should always fall within the normal range. If potassium or sodium look weird, talk to your doctor.
Liver Function Panel (Hepatic 7) 322755
Look at AST, ALT, and ALP. Lifters often see these elevated. It’s not always worrisome. Take a few days off training before bloodwork. To protect the liver, use 300mg TUDCA AM and PM and 1g NAC AM and PM. Glutathione is even better but NAC works great for most people.Add a GGT test for the full picture since that shows real liver stress, not just inflammation.
GGT (Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase) 001958
Same deal as above. If GGT is elevated, that’s when you know actual liver damage could be starting. Keep running TUDCA and NAC twice daily, and cut back on orals and alcohol.Cystatin C with eGFR 121265
This test shows real kidney function. This is the eGFR value you should listen to. Again, stick with 8g astragalus AM and PM, and add 1g ester-C four times a day with meals. There’s good data showing it helps prevent kidney damage from anabolic use. Vigorous Steve talked about this in his EQ video.Make sure you’re staying hydrated and keeping blood pressure normal. High blood pressure will absolutely destroy your kidneys over time.
Lipid Panel with ApoB 123544
This one is huge. High LDL and ApoB together are a fast track to plaque buildup. Keep LDL low and HDL up. Here’s the stack that works best for me on cycle:600mg Red Yeast Rice extract with CoQ10 AM and PM
600mg Citrus Bergamot AM and PM
500mg Berberine before bed
4g combined EPA/DHA daily, split with fatty meals
Ezetimibe 10mg RX AM
Niacin 500mg before bed
That combo keeps my numbers solid. I don’t see LDL go above 85. On cruise, HDL rises into the mid 40s, LDL drops into the 30s, and ApoB stays mid-40s. ApoB is the big one to watch, get it tested.
Lipoprotein(a) 120188
Test this once. It’s genetic and you can’t lower it much. If it’s high, it means your genetics lean toward plaque formation and higher heart disease risk, so be extra careful long term.Metabolic Markers
Hemoglobin A1c 001453Insulin 004333
Glucose, Plasma 001818
These are general markers for metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Same advice as before on keeping glucose in check.
Inflammation Markers
C-Reactive Protein (CRP), High Sensitivity 120766Homocysteine 706994
If these come back high, you’re probably shooting some rough gear. Carrier oils and solvents matter a lot. Avoid ethyl oleate and stick with natural oils, just not peanut oil. MCT oil works great for most people.
Urine Test (Urinalysis with Micro) 003772
This shows true kidney function. If you’ve got protein in your urine, that’s bad news. Get off cycle and talk to your doctor, that means you’ve likely got at least mild kidney damage starting up.Hormone Panels
Get testosterone and estradiol tested to make sure your gear is legit and your E2 is in range. Slightly high estradiol isn’t an issue.My Supplement Stack for Staying Healthy on Cycle
3 Jarrow fish oil AM and PM600mg Red Yeast Rice extract with CoQ10 AM and PM
600mg Citrus Bergamot AM and PM
500mg Berberine before bed
Ezetimibe 10mg AM
Niacin 500mg PM
NOW Foods Gamma E Complex 1 cap AM and PM with meals
Nature’s Way Alive! Max3 Multivitamin 1 cap AM and PM with meals
Ester-C 1g 4x daily with meals
NOW B-100 Complex 1 AM with food
TUDCA 300mg AM and PM
NAC 1g AM and PM
Astragalus 8g AM and PM
Enalapril 10mg daily
K2 + D3 (5000IU) AM with food
Bonus hair loss for those who care
0.5mg Dutasteride daily (yes, still have boners)2.5mg Oral Minoxidil daily
Topical RU-58441 PM
DermaPen 0.75mm weekly
Ketoconazole shampoo 3x weekly
