Understanding your metabolism

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

What is metabolic testing?

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-home metabolism testing

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, 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 men than in women. This test checks your testosterone levels and may be able to identify if you have a hormonal imbalance.

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.

As always with Everlywell, easy-to-interpret test results will be available to you (and, if you choose, your physician) online.

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.

What your results will tell you about TSH, cortisol, and testosterone

The Everlywell Metabolism Test checks key hormone levels that affect your body's metabolism.

Your results will contain your levels of TSH, Cortisol, Testosterone, and whether they are low, normal, or high. By checking these levels you may be able to identify a hormonal imbalance. Changes in these hormones can help you understand the factors that are influencing your metabolism. This may be helpful if you suspect hormones or a slowed metabolism may be influencing your body weight. Abnormalities in any one of these hormones may also require further testing for specific endocrine gland functions.

EverlyWell can provide suggestions for lifestyle changes that can jumpstart your health. As always, we encourage you to share your results with your doctor, who can provide more specific guidance.