Metabolism Test

Metabolism is the sum of all the complex processes within your body that converts food to energy and how your body uses or stores that energy. Your metabolism is impacted by many factors and is related to your energy levels, weight, body composition, and even mood. This screening test can help you understand how your hormone levels might influence your metabolism.

A traditional metabolic test measures the rate at which your body converts calories to energy. An example of metabolic testing is VO2 max testing (imagine the type of test where someone is walking or running on a treadmill with a breathing mask attached to their face). The test measures the amount of oxygen your body uses during exercise to assess your metabolic rate. This type of metabolic testing at home is not feasible because it requires special equipment and a trained professional.

At a traditional doctor’s office, you may also hear the term “metabolic panel.” Those tests are used to measure markers involved with fluid balance, liver and kidney function, and other things that are also related to how your metabolism is currently working. They offer a “snapshot” of your current state. The Everlywell Metabolism Test is different in that it measures the hormones that are involved in affecting processes that help shape our weight, mood, and energy.

Changes in hormones that regulate metabolism influence your energy levels, weight, and body composition. You can test these hormone levels from the comfort of your home. Our metabolism test measures 3 hormones—cortisol, total testosterone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)—that play key roles in how the body’s metabolism functions.

In general, thyroid health can strongly influence metabolism. Our metabolism test measures the primary indicator of thyroid health, TSH. Everlywell also offers a more comprehensive thyroid test should you be interested.

Testosterone influences muscle mass and athletic performance. Testosterone levels will be much higher in people assigned male at birth. This test checks your total testosterone levels and will tell you whether they are within normal ranges.

Cortisol is released as the body’s primary stress hormone. It also plays a role in mobilizing blood glucose (blood sugar) to the brain, regulating fat storage, and maintaining muscle mass. High levels of cortisol can interfere with the normal function of this hormone and lead to dysregulation of fat storage and muscle breakdown.

The Metabolism Test may be beneficial for a person experiencing unexpected and unexplained changes in weight or energy. This screening test can be a first step in helping to determine if there are abnormalities in any of these three hormones. Unexpected weight gain means the change you’re experiencing in your weight would likely not be associated with your current diet or changes in exercise frequency or consistency.

Your results will contain your levels of TSH, cortisol, and total testosterone, as well as whether they are low, normal, or high. Changes in these hormones can help you understand the factors that are influencing your metabolism. This may be helpful if you suspect hormones related to metabolism may be influencing your body weight or energy level. Abnormalities in any one of these hormones may also require further testing for specific endocrine gland functions.