Why Simon Mäntylä Wanted to Do a Health Check
Simon has been training CrossFit since 2012 and is a well-known name in the CrossFit world. As a professional athlete, his days consist of intense workouts and a strict diet. Simon turned to Testmottagningen to ensure that his healthy lifestyle was reflected in his internal values.
Simon wanted to check that his hemoglobin and testosterone levels were optimal, that his cortisol level was not too high, and that his lactate dehydrogenase was within normal references without indications of tissue damage or diseases related to the heart and muscles.
Hälsokontroll Man Plus tested 64 biomarkers and gave Simon in-depth insights into blood values related to hormones, vitamins and minerals, heart and vessels, muscle and iron status, proteins, liver, kidneys, and blood fats.
Identifying Deficiencies to Optimize for Increased Performance
"A weakened immune system and chronically elevated cortisol levels are correlated with overtraining. I wanted to gain insight into how my levels looked to potentially make changes in my training so I wouldn't push my body too hard. Having more information about my levels in relation to my subjective well-being helps me make smart and informed decisions about when to push on or take a step back and rest."
CrossFit is a sport that involves strength, technique, and tactics, but endurance is what drives the engine forward. Simon was therefore very interested in seeing how his blood values looked to identify any deficiencies that could be improved to increase performance.
How Simon Optimized His Values
"When you train hard, the body uses its iron stores to create new red blood cells. I added more iron-rich foods to my diet and also took iron tablets along with vitamin B12 to give the body the building blocks it needs to recover.
My vitamin D was somewhat low, and the doctor recommended a larger dose of vitamin D supplements, which has given me a feeling of more alertness during the days. I also increased the amount of fat in my diet along with the vitamin intake to improve the body's absorption of fat-soluble vitamin D. The follow-up check showed a significant improvement in my values, confirming the feeling I had.
Magnesium is super important for the function of muscles, the nervous system, and metabolism. Magnesium also reduces feelings of tiredness and fatigue, so this is also an area I have improved through changes in my diet. I feel more energetic, sharper, and have a body and nervous system that respond better to the stimuli of training.
I have managed to optimize several of my values, which has improved my recovery and performance in training. Something I now, in retrospect, wish I had started much earlier."
Training Plan and Goals Ahead
"My focus right now is endurance and a lot of gymnastics training. This involves a lot of running, jumping, and explosive movements, which requires me to keep track of my values to continue working hard and keep developing."
"The goal now is to prepare for the big competitions in the fall and winter. The main focus is to improve my running and endurance, so I spend many hours on this each week. The insights from the health checks give me data to make informed decisions in the training process to optimize training and maximize results."
Simon's Advice to Other Athletes
"As an athlete, you learn early on to 'shut down' and push on. But many times, the head wants more than the body can handle. If you have it in black and white, it's easier to make the right decision. It takes very little change from you to make big improvements in your training. Better recovery and sleep, more harmony in the body, and better responses from training. So don't wait, do a check-up, just do it! You won't regret it."
Follow Simon on Instagram @simon_mantyla.
