C-reactive protein (CRP) and
creatine kinase (CK)
Monitoring levels of c-reactive protein and
the enzyme creatine kinase can give us direct
information about the level of infl ammation
in the body. While exercise will inevitably
result in raised levels, these biomarkers can
be a good indicator of recovery rates after
high-volume training blocks or competition,
and also hints at the risk of overtraining.
Th is is defi nitely something I look for when
individuals I work with are looking to go back
to training after competition, especially those
who do endurance and ultra-distance events
like Ironman. Returning to training with
raised levels will increase risk of injury, as
well as overall stress on the body.
9am cortisol
While levels will be highest in the morning,
a consistently high level of cortisol indicates
the body is under stress, and that could be
the result of lack of recovery, poor sleep, high
anxiety levels or poor fueling. Regardless
of the cause, chronically high levels will
have negative consequences to immune and
metabolic health, including a dysfunction
in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, which
can result in the body preserving energy and
holding onto visceral fat. Th is explains why
some people train with intensity but stay the
same shape: the harder they work, the more
stress they create and the more fat their body
clings on to.
Th is list gives you an idea of the key
markers to monitor in order to progress
your training. If you don’t have any medical
symptoms, monitoring these biomarkers is
unlikely to be available on the NHS; in
these cases I recommend Forth Edge
(forthedge.co.uk), which provides a full
analysis and review by an endocrinologist,
as well as recurring tests to help you periodise
your training.