- Essential panel ($249) covers core health: cardiovascular, metabolic, nutritional, organ function, and immunity assessment.
- Performance panel ($349) includes everything in Essential plus testosterone, cortisol, creatine kinase, homocysteine, and inflammation.
- Essential suits general fitness (3-4x/week); Performance suits serious athletes (4+ days/week), competitive participants, or detailed recovery tracking.
- Both panels include all preparation guidance and interpretation; choice depends on training intensity and whether you're optimizing performance.
- Performance panel provides deeper insight into training adaptation, hormonal response, and recovery status for athletes.
Essential vs Performance: Choosing Your Honed Panel
Selecting a blood testing panel is a personal decision that depends on your health priorities, fitness level, and current goals. We've designed two comprehensive options: Essential (AUD $249) and Performance (AUD $349). This guide breaks down what each panel measures and helps you decide which is right for you.
Quick Comparison Table
| Marker | Essential | Performance | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Blood Count (FBC) | ✓ | ✓ | Assesses red/white blood cells, oxygen capacity |
| Iron Studies | ✓ | ✓ | Critical for energy and endurance |
| Lipid Panel | ✓ | ✓ | Cholesterol markers, cardiovascular health |
| Liver & Kidney Function | ✓ | ✓ | Detects organ stress from intense training |
| Glucose & Insulin | ✓ | ✓ | Metabolic health and energy efficiency |
| Magnesium | ✓ | ✓ | Muscle function and recovery |
| Vitamin D | ✓ | ✓ | Bone health, immunity, seasonal assessment |
| Vitamin B12 | ✓ | ✓ | Energy metabolism and nervous system |
| Folate | ✓ | ✓ | Red blood cell production |
| Thyroid Function (TSH) | ✓ | ✓ | Metabolic rate and energy levels |
| Testosterone | ; | ✓ | Muscle development, recovery, energy |
| Cortisol | ; | ✓ | Stress response and recovery capacity |
| Creatine Kinase (CK) | ; | ✓ | Muscle recovery and training load response |
| Homocysteine | ; | ✓ | Cardiovascular and brain health marker |
| Inflammation (hsCRP) | ; | ✓ | Training-induced inflammation tracking |
The Essential Panel: Foundation Health
The Essential panel gives you a comprehensive snapshot of your core health markers. Think of it as your metabolic baseline and cardiovascular health picture.
What You'll Discover
The Essential panel opens a window into several key systems:
Cardiovascular Health. Your lipid panel shows total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides [1]. These markers help you and your doctor understand your cardiovascular risk profile and whether dietary or lifestyle adjustments might support long-term heart health.
Energy & Oxygen Transport. A full blood count measures hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell indices [2]. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, these markers show whether you're carrying sufficient oxygen capacity for endurance activities. Iron studies: including ferritin, serum iron, and TIBC: reveal whether fatigue might be linked to iron status [4].
Metabolic Health. Glucose and insulin levels indicate how your body handles carbohydrates. Vitamin D, B12, and folate show whether your diet and sun exposure are meeting your nutritional needs. Magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and nervous system function.
Organ Function. Liver and kidney markers ensure your organs are handling training load and recovery without stress. Thyroid function (TSH) tells you whether your metabolism is running optimally.
Who the Essential Panel Is For
The Essential panel suits you if you:
- Are starting a new fitness program and want baseline health data
- Have a family history of cardiovascular disease and want regular monitoring
- Exercise 3-4 days per week at moderate intensity
- Want to understand whether nutritional deficiencies explain low energy or poor recovery
- Prefer a straightforward, cost-effective health assessment without specialty markers
The Performance Panel: Complete Athletic Profile
The Performance panel includes everything in Essential, plus six additional markers specifically designed for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone tracking detailed recovery and training adaptation.
What You'll Discover Beyond Essential
Hormonal Health. Testosterone plays a central role in muscle development, recovery capacity, and energy levels. The Performance panel measures free and total testosterone, giving you insight into whether your training and recovery are supporting healthy hormonal balance.
Stress & Recovery Status. Cortisol is your stress hormone. Elevated cortisol can slow recovery, increase injury risk, and undermine training progress. Measuring cortisol helps you understand whether your training volume, sleep, and stress management are in balance [5].
Muscle Damage & Training Response. Creatine kinase (CK) rises after intense training as muscle fibers adapt. Tracking CK helps you:
- Assess whether your training intensity is optimal
- Monitor recovery between hard sessions
- Detect unusual muscle breakdown that might indicate overtraining
Inflammation. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measures systemic inflammation. Moderate inflammation is normal after training; chronically elevated levels may signal overtraining or underlying metabolic stress [3].
Cardiovascular & Brain Health. Homocysteine is an independent cardiovascular risk factor and is linked to cognitive health. Monitoring it provides a deeper cardiovascular picture beyond traditional cholesterol panels.
Who the Performance Panel Is For
The Performance panel suits you if you:
- Train 5+ days per week or compete in organized sports
- Want to optimize recovery between hard training sessions
- Are tracking the effects of a new training program, diet, or supplement protocol
- Have a background in fitness and appreciate detailed biomarker data
- Want to understand your hormonal and stress physiology
- Are working with a coach or sports scientist and want comprehensive data to inform programming
Decision Tree: Which Panel Is Right for Me?
Are you new to structured fitness or blood testing? → Start with Essential. You'll get all foundational markers without information overload. Retest after 8-12 weeks to track progress.
Do you train competitively or 5+ days per week? → Performance. Hormonal, recovery, and inflammation markers directly support athletic optimization.
Are you managing a specific health condition or family history? → Essential is a great baseline. Discuss additional markers with your doctor.
Do you want to track training adaptation over time? → Performance gives you more variables to monitor (CK, cortisol, testosterone). These change faster than Essential-only markers, making it easier to see the impact of your training choices.
Is budget a primary concern? → Essential is excellent value and covers all major health systems. You can always upgrade to Performance later.
FAQ: Panel Selection
Q: Can I switch panels later? A: Absolutely. Many people start with Essential and progress to Performance once they're familiar with their baseline data. You can order whichever panel you prefer at each testing visit.
Q: Will my doctor recognize these markers? A: Yes. All markers in both panels are standard clinical measures used by pathologists and medical professionals across Australia. You can share results with your GP, sports doctor, or sports scientist.
Q: How often should I retest? A: This depends on your goals. Athletes often retest every 8-12 weeks to track training adaptation. If you're monitoring a health condition, your doctor will advise. For general health, annual or biannual testing is common.
Q: Is the Performance panel worth the extra cost? A: That depends on your training volume and how much you value detailed recovery data. If you're training recreationally, Essential is comprehensive. If you're optimizing performance or managing intense training, the extra $100 for hormonal, CK, and inflammation data often pays for itself in better-informed training decisions.
Q: What if I only want one or two extra markers from Performance? A: Honed offers these panels as designed sets to ensure comprehensive interpretation and cost efficiency. Contact our team to discuss custom options.
Q: Do I need medical supervision to order these panels? A: No. Both panels are available without a doctor's referral in Australia. You collect your sample at a pathology collection centre, and results come directly to you with guidance notes.
What Happens After You Test
Whichever panel you choose, your results arrive with clear reference ranges and guidance. If values fall outside normal ranges, we explain what that might mean for your health or training. You can share results with your healthcare provider or coach for personalized interpretation.
Ready to start? Take our panel quiz to get a personalized recommendation, or explore our pricing and options to order your first test.
This guide is educational and does not replace professional medical advice. Always discuss significant changes in health markers with your healthcare provider.
