Improve Fitness
Improve Fitness
Improve your endurance by understanding your body
The Improve Fitness Test Bundle consists of two cerascreen® health tests that will help you improve your fitness and athletic performance: the Amino Acid Test and the DNA Fitness Test.
Fitness enthusiasts have long been aware that athleticism is not just a result of exercise. Nutrients, sleep, choosing the right type of exercise - there are numerous factors that influence your athletic performance. These include your genetics, which determine your athletic potential, endurance type and muscle fibre (twitch) type. Your intake of amino acids is also relevant; these are crucial for your muscle strength.
- Enjoy convenient and easy sample-taking from home (saliva and blood sample)
- Save time: no doctor’s appointment, no waiting time
- Receive tips and recommendations about fitness and your amino acid levels, based on your genetics
- Get your results within three weeks after the sample’s arrival in the laboratory
cerascreen® Improve Fitness Test Bundle
DNA Fitness Test
Every person has their individual predispositions when it comes to sports and fitness. Your endurance level, how exactly your muscle fibres function and the likelihood of intense training causing you oxidative stress and bone loss - these and many other factors are influenced by your genetics.
For the cerascreen® DNA Fitness Test, a specialised medical laboratory analyses six gene variants in a saliva sample. The analysis provides you with information about your predispositions. With this information, you can adapt your individual fitness programme and diet to suit your DNA.
This way, you can help optimise your performance and reduce health risks caused by intensive training.
Amino Acid Test
Amino acids are the basic building blocks when it comes to proteins. Like all living beings, humans need amino acids to carry out important functions in their bodies - from hormone production to strengthening the immune system and developing muscle.
Some amino acids – namely, the essential amino acids – must be obtained via high-protein foods. However, not all people have the same amino acid requirements. It is possible that some muscles are heavily used in some intensive sports and therefore require a greater number of amino acids. A vegetarian or vegan diet can also mean your body has a lower supply of amino acids.
With the cerascreen® Amino Acid Test, you can assess the levels of 26 different amino acids in your body - and receive tips on how to optimise your intake.
Information about the Improve Fitness Test Bundle
Taking a sample
Using the equipment provided with the improve fitness test kits, take a small blood sample and a saliva sample from the oral mucosa.
Activate your test online
Enter the test IDs listed on the test ID cards in your secure My cerascreen user account on our website or on our app. You will then need to answer a short survey, so that we can give you personalised recommendations.
Send in your sample
Mail in the two samples to the medical laboratory by using the free return envelope.
Laboratory analysis
The medical laboratory will analyse your blood sample for the concentration of 26 different amino acids and your saliva sample for certain gene variants.
Results report
You will receive a personal results report for each of the tests. The reports will explain the results to you and give you valuable recommendations that you can use to improve your personal fitness. We will also tell you how the results of the two tests will help you get fitter.
Medical laboratory
All samples taken with the cerascreen® test kits are analysed in a medical laboratory. All of our lab partners meet our high quality and safety standards.
Frequently asked questions about the improve fitness test bundle and the single test kits
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How does the test work?
The Improve Fitness Test Bundle contains two cerascreen send-in sample kits:
- A blood sample kit for the Amino Acid Test
- A saliva sample kit for the DNA Fitness Test
The kits contain everything you need to take a blood sample from your fingertip and a saliva sample for your oral mucosa. Next, send in your samples with the return envelope to be analysed in a specialised medical laboratory.
As soon as your samples have been analysed in the laboratory, you will receive a notification via email and via the My cerascreen app. You can then download your results report in the app or by logging in on our website.
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What does the results report show me?
The results report will give you a clear and comprehensible analysis of your test results.
In this test bundle, you will find out:- Your values for 26 amino acids in nanomoles per millilitre of blood
- Your predisposition to the following: tendency to develop oxidative stress, muscle loss, your endurance type and your muscle fibre type
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Which recommendations will I receive?
The two results reports will give you recommendations you can easily implement in your everyday life. From your DNA analysis, you will find out how you can optimise your amino acid levels through your diet and personalise your fitness routine to suit you.
For example, by taking the DNA Fitness Test, you will find out which muscle type you are likely to have – that is, if you possess slow-twitch, medium-twitch or fast-twitch muscle fibres. Your muscle fibre type can give you an indication of whether you tend to perform better in endurance sports or in weight training.
Moreover, you will receive access to additional informative material, in which we will explain to you the links between your test results and your fitness and give you further tips to use in your everyday life.
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For whom is the test not suitable?
The test bundle is not suitable for or is only suitable for particular groups of people to a certain extent:
- People with contagious diseases, like hepatitis or HIV, are not allowed to take the tests.
- People with blood disease (haemophilia) should not take the tests.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women should only carry out the tests under medical supervision. The reference values and recommendations do not apply to them, so they should obtain recommendations on the test results from their doctor.
- The tests are not suitable for children under the age of 18 years.
The tests are not intended for diagnosing diseases. For example, if you are obese and suffer from acute pain, you should consult a doctor.
Additional information about how to improve fitness
Why is improving your fitness a must for your health?
‘I want to get fit!’ – it’s a sentence most of us have uttered or at least thought to ourselves at some point. Whether it’s those of us who want to optimise athletic performance or those of us who finally want to get up off the couch and do something for their health – getting fit is attractive to many of us.
Whatever your goals are, you can effectively improve your fitness with the right measures, a tailor-made sports programme and some expert tips.
In addition to the ideal exercise, you can further improve your fitness by doing the following:
- Eating a wholesome diet: to ensure that your body can carry out processes harmoniously and you can perform at your best, you should make sure you consume enough vitamins, minerals and protein and correct any nutrient deficiencies.
- Sleeping well: your body needs a restful night’s sleep in order to regenerate. Not having enough sleep will wreak havoc on your fitness.
- Striking the right balance: don’t overdo it! Always train according to your fitness level: increase the intensity of your workouts slowly and also enjoy some downtime between each fitness session. This doesn’t just apply to beginners; even pros need to take a break.
- Seizing every opportunity: any daily exercise – no matter how small – is good for your body. Take the stairs instead of the lift, go for a walk during your lunch breaks, go by bike – your fitness will thank you for it!
Advantages of getting fit for your health
Getting fit is absolutely worth it – for endless reasons!
For one, sports will help you maintain a healthy weight, by converting body fat into muscle, for example. If you gain muscles, you’ll also find that you burn more energy – thus more fat – even when you aren’t doing sports in that very moment.
Exercise is also good for your heart and circulation. Regular endurance workouts will maintain a healthy blood pressure and pulse long-term and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.
When you build up muscle, you also support your upper-body strength and mobility. At the same time, you therefore prevent back pain and tension.
Last but not least, sports have a positive influence on your psychological and mental health. Actively doing sports affects the chemicals released in your brain. So-called ‘happy hormones’, such as serotonin, are secreted, and stress hormones like cortisol are reduced. This is how exercise can not only reduce stress levels, but it can also improve the quality of your sleep and sometimes even decrease the risk of developing psychological illnesses.
Which sport type should I choose to get fitter?
The most important thing is that you exercise regularly. In principle, you can choose from a plethora of different sports to improve your fitness. For most people, however, the perfect solution is to combine endurance sports with weight training – for example, by going jogging one day and doing a workout on another day – or even opting for workouts combining both cardio and strength exercises. This is how you can improve your fitness and also help your heart and circulation system, simultaneously strengthening your body and promoting muscle growth.
If you’re still looking for the right sport for you, performing a DNA analysis with the cerascreen® DNA Fitness Test, for example, could also help. This is because certain gene variants can tell you more about your endurance level and the characteristics of your muscle fibres. This information will tell you if you are more suited to endurance training or weight training.
Get fit with the right diet
In order to build up muscle, your body doesn’t only need regular exercise. The right nutrients are also important. This includes, for example, proteins – more precisely, amino acids, that make up protein and that are crucial for muscle growth.
The composition of amino acids determines how high-quality a protein source is. If the protein source contains many of the essential amino acids that our bodies need to consume, it boasts a high quality of protein. This is easiest to find in certain animal products, such as turkey breast or fish.
You can also satisfy your amino acid requirements with plant-based products if you combine various protein sources. A combination of wholemeal foods and legumes will ensure you enjoy high-quality sources of protein.
When you do an intense workout, you should especially make sure that you are consuming sufficient amino acids. You can check your levels are healthy with the cerascreen® Amino Acid Test – and, if necessary, optimise your amino acid intake.
