Imagine setting off on a multi-day high-altitude expedition in a remote region, far from hospitals and modern medicine — and not really knowing exactly how your body is functioning internally. You might feel strong, you might have done lots of training, but are your hormones, electrolytes, inflammation levels, micronutrients, or hidden organ stress ready for that stress? We do it, and recommend you do the same!! Get signed up today!
That’s why we refer our clients to Function Health — to “own your health” with real data, not guesswork. Their model offers 160+ annual lab tests (and follow-up testing), a clinician’s summary, and continuous tracking over time.
Below, we walk through the benefits of regular, deep lab testing — and why doing it before a big trekking adventure is not just a luxury, but a smart risk-management choice.
Why Regular Lab Testing Matters: The Big Picture
Here’s what you get when your health is continuously monitored:
1). Early Detection of Issues
Many chronic conditions develop long before symptoms appear. Routine lab panels can flag early signs of diabetes, liver stress, kidney dysfunction, immune dysregulation, hormonal imbalances, micronutrient deficiencies, and more. When you detect them early, you have more options, less risk, and fewer compromises.
2). Fully Informed Training and Nutrition Decisions
Athletic performance greatly depends on things like iron status, vitamin D, thyroid hormones, cortisol, sex hormones, inflammation markers, and metabolic function. These influence how your body handles stress, recovers, and adapts.
3). Tracking Progress and Course Corrections
Doing one-off testing gives a snapshot. Doing repeated testing gives trends. You can see how diet changes, supplements, training load, or rest are affecting your biomarkers over time.
4). Reducing the Risk of Health Surprises in Remote Settings
The last thing you want is to discover, mid-trek, that you have a metabolic imbalance, undiagnosed anemia, kidney stress, or hormone issue that worsens with altitude, dehydration, or physical strain.
5). Personalization: No more one-size-fits-all protocols
Many training plans and nutrition guidelines are based on averages. But your biochemistry may differ. Deep lab testing allows tailoring your plan to you.
6). Empowerment and Accountability
When you see your own numbers, with clinician commentary and a “stack” of recommended action steps, you become an active participant in your health rather than a passive recipient.
Why Pre-Trek Testing Is Uniquely Valuable
When preparing for a major trekking or mountaineering expedition — especially in remote or high-altitude terrain — the stakes are higher. Here’s how pre-trek lab testing adds value:
1). Establish your Baseline Before Additional Stress
Altitude, prolonged exertion, cold exposure, dehydration, altered nutrition, and immune challenges all put extra strain on your body. If you know where your biomarkers stand beforehand, you can better predict which systems will get taxed the most and intervene proactively.
2). Identify Vulnerabilities you can “fix” During Your Training Window
If your labs reveal that your iron is low, vitamin D is suboptimal, or your thyroid is sluggish, you have months before departure to correct those. That’s vastly safer than discovering them mid-expedition.
3). Monitor how Your Body Adapts Under Training Stress
If you test midway through your training program, changes in key markers (e.g. inflammation, muscle breakdown, cortisol) can inform whether you’re overtraining, under-recovering, or need to adjust your regimen.
4). Optimize Fueling Strategies
Understanding your metabolic function, lipid profiles, and nutrient status can inform how much energy, protein, electrolytes, and micronutrients you’ll need per day. For example, metabolic testing is sometimes used to estimate energy requirements, substrate usage (fat vs carbohydrate), and respiratory quotients.
5). Mitigate Risk of Altitude-Related Complications
Some individuals are more vulnerable to oxidative stress, poor oxygen delivery, or fluid imbalances at altitude. If pre-trek testing shows markers indicating susceptibility (e.g. borderline kidney function, electrolyte imbalance, subtle liver stress), you can take preventive measures (hydration protocols, antioxidant supplements, pacing, etc.).
6). Doctor Oversight in Remote Emergencies
If a medical issue arises on trek (e.g. sudden fatigue, abdominal pain, swelling, etc.), having a well-documented lab baseline can help any downstream clinician (if evacuation happens) interpret what’s going on faster.
7). Peace of mind
Part of being a seasoned trekker is managing risk. Having your internal systems checked off reduces one puzzle variable. It gives you confidence that you’re not ignoring unknowns.
How Function Health Supports This Approach
Function Health offers a platform design well suited to the pre-trek testing model:
- 160+ lab tests yearly (covering heart, hormones, thyroid, metabolic, toxins, autoimmunity, stress, nutrients, and more)
- Follow-up (3–6 month) tests to see how your body is changing over time
- Clinician summaries and actionable “Stack” guidance — curated by top experts — to turn raw data into insights you can act on
- Secure dashboard and tracking so you see trends, share with physicians, and monitor over time
- Transparent pricing and no insurance required — making it easier for individuals to access these tests directly without gatekeeping
- Lab and scan integration — including plans for MRI/advanced imaging over time
I discovered 18 out-of-range biomarkers and then used lifestyle and nutritional changes to optimize them. Part of the changes required me to heal my gut. I highly recommend considering AG1 as part of your supplement regime.
That kind of feedback loop — test → action → retest — is the gold standard for preparation, especially when heading into an unknown environment.
Sample Pre-Trek Testing Timeline & Recommendations
Below is a suggested timeline for how a trekker could integrate lab testing into their preparation:
Sample Pre-Trek Testing Timeline & Recommendations
Below is a suggested timeline for how a trekker could integrate lab testing into their preparation:
| Time Before Departure | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 6–9 months | Initial full lab profile (100+ tests) | Establish baseline, catch deficits or red flags early |
| 4–6 months | Review results, begin interventions (nutrition, supplements, training adjustments) | Optimize systems while you still have time |
| 2–3 months | Midpoint follow-up panel (subset of tests) | Monitor progress, refine your tweaks |
| 1 month out | Final check (targeted labs) | Ensure no new alarming changes; confirm readiness |
| Post-expedition | Post-trek labs | Assess damage, recovery, and reset baseline |
This schedule allows time for course correction while not overwhelming you right before departure.
Potential Objections & Caveats (and How to Address Them)
1). “Isn’t this overkill? My doctor’s annual panel is enough.”
Traditional panels tend to measure ~30 common biomarkers (CBC, CMP, lipids, basic hormones). Function Health’s model offers many more markers (e.g. advanced lipid subfractions, inflammatory markers, autoimmunity, toxin levels) and at more frequent intervals.
That said, not every person needs every test — but for someone undertaking high-risk adventures, the incremental value is greater.
2). “I might get overwhelmed or anxious by all the data.”
That’s a valid concern. That’s why one of Function’s strengths is that they provide clinician summaries and context — so you’re not left with raw numbers alone.
3). “Not all biomarkers are perfectly predictive.”
True: labs are one tool, not the entire picture. Biomarkers sometimes reflect averages, not local tissue states; and not every out-of-range value means disease. That’s why interpretation matters. Many experts caution against overtesting or overinterpreting.
4). “Cost and logistics may be barriers.”
Yes — Function’s service is not free. It costs a membership (e.g. ~$499/year reported in media) and lab visits. But weighed against the risks and costs (medical evacuation, lost days, suboptimal performance), many trekkers see it as worthwhile.
5).“Timing of sample matters (training effects).”
Intense training, recent exercise, or certain supplements can temporarily skew biomarker readings (e.g. elevated creatine kinase, altered inflammatory markers). Therefore, plan lab draws in a relatively rested state and interpret in context of your training schedule.
A Narrative Example: How It All Comes Together
Here’s a fictional—but plausible—scenario:
Sarah, age 38, is signed up for the Everest Base Camp trek next spring. Six months out, she does her Function lab panel. The results show:
- Borderline iron (ferritin) low
- Slightly elevated liver enzymes
- Low vitamin D
- Elevated hs-CRP (inflammation)
- Slight hormonal imbalance (low thyroid T3)
Her clinician’s summary recommends dietary changes (iron-rich meals, vitamin C for absorption), vitamin D supplementation, mild liver-support nutrition (e.g. reducing alcohol, optimizing sleep), and retesting in 3 months.
Three months later, her follow-up labs show improved ferritin, normalized liver enzymes, lower CRP, and better thyroid markers. Meanwhile, she uses the intervening time to adjust her training, hydration, and recovery protocols.
When she departs, she has a buffer: she knows she’s not leaving with invisible deficits. During the trek, she also keeps electrolyte tabs, nutrition tight, and monitors for symptoms.
On arriving back, post-trek labs confirm her body held up well — minimal deviations from baseline — allowing her to recover more quickly and plan for her next adventure. Read some FAQ’s.
Final Thoughts & Call to Action
Adventurers like us embrace uncertainty in terrain, weather, and logistics — but we don’t have to accept uncertainty in our internal biology. Testing your body deeply, tracking trends over time, and acting on that feedback gives you an edge: increased resilience, reduced catastrophic risk, and better performance. Get signed up today!