More and more active people get their blood drawn to age well, not only to win a race. A handful of markers keep coming back: hs-CRP for inflammation, HbA1c and glucose for your sugar metabolism, your blood lipids, vitamin D and ferritin. Useful to follow, but no guarantee of a long life.
My belief after hundreds of results: most of the gain does not sit in an exotic marker. It sits in a few basic values that you follow calmly over the years. The hype around biohacking often promises more than blood can deliver.
In the Netherlands, about half of adults meet the physical activity guideline, according to RIVM figures. Many of them wonder what their blood says about their long-term health. This piece belongs to our pillar on blood values for athletes.
Why do active people track their blood values for longevity?
Many athletes want to perform not only today, but to still be fit in twenty years. Blood testing offers a few starting points here, such as your inflammation, your sugar metabolism and your blood lipids. They are clues to patterns, not a prediction of how old you will get.
The appeal is understandable. People who train like to measure. A runner knows their pace and heart rate, so why not a few values in the blood too?
Still, there is a difference between measuring and knowing. A number on a result feels concrete, but its meaning depends on your whole situation. A doctor looks at the pattern over time, not at one single measurement.
Which blood values are tracked most often in a longevity context?
A handful of markers keeps coming back among people who want to age well. Each says something different: one about inflammation, another about your sugar metabolism or your iron store. The table below lists them. See it as context, not a diagnosis.
| Marker | What it can suggest in a longevity context | Where you can have it measured |
|---|---|---|
| hs-CRP | A sensitive measure of low-grade inflammation, sometimes linked to heart and vascular health | Complete metabolic panel |
| HbA1c and glucose | Give a picture of your sugar metabolism over the past weeks | InsideTracker |
| Blood lipids (LDL, HDL, triglycerides) | Sometimes used as context for long-term heart and vascular health | Whoop Advanced Labs |
| Vitamin D | Often low in winter; sometimes linked to muscle and bone health | With a broad test |
| Ferritin | Says something about your iron store, which can affect recovery and energy | With a broad test |
If you want a number of these values measured together, a complete metabolic panel fits. Which marker makes sense for you depends on your age, your goals and your history.
What does inflammation via hs-CRP actually say?
hs-CRP is a sensitive test for low-grade inflammation in your body. A low number is sometimes seen as favourable in a longevity context, but the value swings a lot. A cold or a hard training session can push it up temporarily.
That is why one measurement says little. If you test right after a marathon, your hs-CRP can be high without anything being wrong. The pattern over time is more informative than a snapshot.
You can read more on our page about hs-CRP. A doctor always weighs the result together with your story and your other values.
How does your sugar metabolism fit into the picture?
HbA1c and glucose together give a picture of how your body handles sugar. HbA1c shows an average over the past weeks, while glucose is a snapshot. In active people these values are often stable, but following them can still give useful context.
Some athletes think that training removes all sugar problems. That is not always true. Food, stress and sleep play a part too, and you partly see those back in your values.
An InsideTracker test or a Whoop Advanced Labs test brings these metabolic values into view alongside other markers. In our piece on 36 biomarkers for people who want to optimise their health you read what such a broad panel looks like.
Why do vitamin D and ferritin stay basic values?
Vitamin D and ferritin are not very spectacular, but that is exactly why they matter. Vitamin D is low in many people in the Netherlands in winter. Ferritin says something about your iron store, and low iron can affect recovery and energy, even in trained athletes.
In endurance athletes I regularly see low ferritin, especially in women and in people who run a lot of kilometres. That is no reason to panic, but it is something to discuss with your GP.
Read more on our page about ferritin or about vitamin D. For a broad view, our piece on a broad blood test with 44 biomarkers can also help.
Does measuring more often make you healthier by itself?
No, measuring more does not automatically make you healthier. A result is a snapshot, not a treatment. The gain sits in what you do with the information, together with your GP. Following blood is a tool, not a goal in itself.
Here I take a clear position. The biohacking promise that enough data will stretch your lifespan goes further than what blood can deliver. Many values swing, and chasing the perfect number mostly produces stress.
What strikes me: people who calmly follow a few basic values over the years get more out of it than those who order a new panel every month. Dull consistency beats exciting busyness.
Frequently asked questions
Which blood values are interesting for longevity?
hs-CRP, HbA1c, glucose, blood lipids, vitamin D and ferritin often come into view. They give context about inflammation, sugar metabolism and your iron store. None of them predicts how old you will get; a doctor assesses the whole picture.
How often do athletes get their blood drawn?
That differs per person and goal. Some people choose to measure now and then to get a picture over time. Your GP can help decide what makes sense in your situation.
Does a good result guarantee a long life?
No. A favourable value is context, not a guarantee. Lifestyle, genes and chance all play a part. Blood shows a few starting points, no more.
What I would suggest
Pick a few basic values and follow them calmly over the years, rather than chasing every new marker. Discuss your result with your GP, especially if something stands out or persists. Blood is a tool within that, not a prediction. Every blood test result at Vitalcheck includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. A blood value is not a diagnosis: always discuss treatment decisions with your GP.
References
- RIVM. Physical activity and health: figures and context. Accessed 2026.
- NHG guideline / Thuisarts.nl. Blood testing and health. Dutch College of General Practitioners. Accessed 2026.
- Health Council of the Netherlands. Vitamin D and health. 2012, accessed 2026.
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