Metabolism Test
Cortisol, testosterone, and TSH, the hormones behind energy and weight.
- Free shipping, both ways
- FSA / HSA accepted, or pay over time
- Ships to every state except New York
About this test
Our at-home lab test measures three hormones that can influence your metabolism and can provide you with valuable insights to help you understand unexpected changes in weight, energy, sleep, and more.
- Measures hormones that affect metabolism
- Finger prick sample
- Saliva sample collection
Who should take this test?
If you’re experiencing unexpected and unexplained changes in weight or energy, it’s time to take a closer look. This test is a great first step. Metabolism can impact energy levels, weight, body composition, and mood. If key hormones that help your body maintain a normal metabolism are out of range, it can cause unexpected changes.
Body
- Thinning hair
- Fatigue or feeling tired
- Increased body fat
- Decreased muscle mass
- Changes in weight
Mind
- Sleep Disturbance
- Feeling anxious or stressed out
What does this test measure?
Your results will provide a detailed breakdown of the 3 hormones below and let you know whether your levels fall within the typical range. A better understanding of your hormone levels can provide you with valuable insights into potential reasons for changes you might be experiencing with your body composition, weight, and energy levels.
- Cortisol
- Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands and is released in response to stressors like illness and exercise. Cortisol is often referred to as your body’s “stress hormone,” but it has many roles in the body, including helping to control blood sugar levels and regulating energy metabolism. In most people, cortisol levels peak in the morning and are lowest in the middle of the night.
- Total testosterone
- Testosterone is primarily produced by the testes or ovaries, respectively, with a small amount produced by the adrenal glands. Total testosterone includes free testosterone and testosterone that is bound to the proteins (e.g. albumin and sex hormone binding globulin) in the blood. While commonly regarded as the primary male sex hormone, testosterone is important for bone density, libido, body fat distribution, and supporting muscle mass across all sexes.
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that is responsible for controlling the production of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 by the thyroid gland. The hormone TSH is considered the most sensitive marker for screening for thyroid diseases and conditions.
What’s in the box
Everything you need to collect your sample and send it back, with free shipping both ways.
Collection card and two lancets
A few drops of blood on the card, from a quick, shallow prick.
Two saliva tubes
Small tubes with a straw. Collect at the times on the card; cortisol changes across the day.
Alcohol pad, gauze and bandage
Clean the fingertip first, cover it after.
Prepaid return mailer
Addressed to the lab. Drop it in any USPS mailbox once everything is collected.
Instructions and kit ID
Register the ID online before you collect, so your results reach your account.
Four steps, from your door to your results
- Day 1
Order and plan your timing
Order online and your kit ships free. When it arrives, read the instructions first, so you know when to collect each of your saliva samples.
- Days 2 to 7
Register, collect, and ship
Register your kit ID online, then collect a few drops of blood on the card and two saliva samples at the times the kit sets. Mail it all back with the prepaid label.
- Days 10 to 14
Get your results
Physician-reviewed results post to your secure account, with each of your biomarkers shown against its range and what your levels can mean.
- After your results
Talk it through with your provider
Everlywell can suggest lifestyle changes to consider. Share your results with your healthcare provider for more specific guidance. Many people recheck every 6 to 12 months.
Cortisol in saliva changes through the day, so collect at the times your kit’s instructions set.
Clinical-grade testing, from the comfort of home.
From the lab to your report, every step of our process meets the gold standard in medical testing.
CLIA-certified labs
Every lab we partner with is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, meeting both state and federal standards with regular independent inspections.
We protect your health data
We protect your health data with encryption and do not sell it. Some results must be reported to public health authorities by law. See our Privacy Notice.
Rigorous quality assurance
All partner labs run regular internal quality checks, participate in proficiency testing, and comply with federal and state lab regulations.
Clinician-reviewed reports
Results are reviewed by an independent, licensed clinician.
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Questions
Common questions.
Anything else, our care team answers by phone, text, or email.
Metabolism is the sum of all the complex processes within your body that converts food to energy and how your body uses or stores that energy. Your metabolism is impacted by many factors and is related to your energy levels, weight, body composition, and even mood. This screening test can help you understand how your hormone levels might influence your metabolism.
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 a traditional doctor’s office, you may also hear the term “metabolic panel.” Those tests are used to measure markers involved with fluid balance, liver and kidney function, and other things that are also related to how your metabolism is currently working. They offer a “snapshot” of your current state. The Everlywell Metabolism Test is different in that it measures the hormones that are involved in affecting processes that help shape our weight, mood, and energy.
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, total 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 people assigned male at birth. This test checks your total testosterone levels and will tell you whether they are within normal ranges.
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 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.
Your results will contain your levels of TSH, cortisol, and total testosterone, as well as whether they are low, normal, or high. Changes in these hormones can help you understand the factors that are influencing your metabolism. This may be helpful if you suspect hormones related to metabolism may be influencing your body weight or energy level. 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 and wellness. As always, we encourage you to share your results with your healthcare provider, who can provide more specific guidance.