Quest Diagnostics, Madison, NJ, has launched Blueprint for Athletes, a sports performance testing service that equips athletes with personalized insights to help them achieve their personal best.

The service gives individuals insights into biological factors that may affect their performance. Based on the latest sports science and technology, the service evaluates levels of such blood-based markers as creatine kinase, glucose, and vitamin D that influence protein synthesis, energy levels, and other factors. Athletes receive an actionable report detailing information about the markers, how they relate to performance, and what actions can be taken, from training and recovery to diet and nutrition. Over time, athletes can track results to monitor progress toward improved performance while helping to avoid or reduce injury.

Using the new service, NFL linebacker Spencer Paysinger learned that he was allergic to the high levels of nuts and legumes he was consuming for energy, making tough training sessions tougher than they should have been.

“When my report informed me that I was allergic to nuts and legume vegetables, I was surprised because I hadn’t had the traditional allergic reaction of hives or swelling,” says Paysinger. “My Blueprint for Athletes analysis found that instead, these foods were taking way too long to break down in my body and consequently using up my energy. Once I cut those foods from my diet and substituted alternate protein sources, my energy, strength, and stamina all increased, which in turn advances my training and game-day performance.”

The Blueprint for Athletes testing service is the result of a sports science collaboration formed in 2013 between Quest and the NFL’s New York Giants to develop new ways to use laboratory diagnostic information to improve the health and performance of athletes of all ages and abilities. Blueprint for Athletes baseline screening has become part of each player’s annual physical, and Giants players have the opportunity to volunteer to work with Quest in the research and application of Blueprint for Athletes. In addition to members of the Giants, members of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, along with other professional and collegiate sports teams as well as competitive athletes across the country, have turned to Blueprint for Athletes.

Individuals can select from six distinct packages to form their personalized blueprint, which provides insights that align with their training goals. After providing a blood sample at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center, athletes receive personalized reports from Quest. Results can be viewed through Quest’s mobile app and interactive patient portal, MyQuest by Care360; a hardcopy is delivered through the mail.

“We focus on equipping athletes with actionable information that drives their decisionmaking process in both preparation and competition,” says Richard Schwabacher, MPH, executive director at Quest Diagnostics Sports and Human Performance. “Blueprint for Athletes is a valuable tool that helps dedicated athletes understand how their body is adapting to the natural course of training and competition.”

“Insights gleaned from test results can help athletes contemplate training and recovery modifications, nutrition, and hydration strategies, and avoidance of food and environmental allergens, to support improved performance,” says Maren S. Fragala, PhD, director of the athlete health and performance division of Quest Diagnostics and a member of Blueprint for Athlete’s medical and scientific advisory board.

Blueprint for Athletes is available to all athletes—amateur and professional alike—in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas through Quest Diagnostics. The service is expected to be launched in additional states throughout 2016.

For more information, visit AACC booth 3927 or Quest Diagnostics.