If you’re not healthy, you can’t perform. I live by this saying and promote it to all athletes. Unfortunately, some athletes do not fully understand the relationship between health and performance. 

This week, I want to highlight a common biomarker that is measured in a lipid test - LDL cholesterol and why it may not be all that useful as once promised.

When discussing cholesterol and heart health, you often hear about LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. However, there are two key terms to understand: LDL-C and LDL-P. While both are related to cholesterol, they measure different aspects of it and can have different implications for heart disease risk.

LDL-C: Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol - LDL-C stands for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. This is the traditional measure of the amount of cholesterol carried by LDL particles in your bloodstream. High levels of LDL-C are often associated with an increased risk of plaque buildup in arteries, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.

However, LDL-C only measures the amount of cholesterol, not the number of particles that carry it. That’s where LDL-P comes in.

LDL-P: Low-Density Lipoprotein particle number - LDL-P refers to the number of LDL particles in the blood. Even if your LDL-C level is normal, having a high number of LDL particles (LDL-P) can still increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. This is because more particles can mean more opportunities for them to enter artery walls and form plaques, which can lead to blockages and heart attacks.

In some cases, people with normal or low LDL-C levels can still have high LDL-P, putting them at risk of heart disease. Conversely, someone may have elevated LDL-C but fewer LDL particles, which could mean they are at lower risk than their cholesterol numbers alone suggest.

The major challenge is that most physicians only measure LDL-C when doing a lipid profile when, in fact, BOTH LDL-C and LDL-P (among other super important biomarkers) should be measured.

It can be a bit confusing but as a smart consumer who takes their health seriously, all it takes is for you to ask for more biomarkers to be added to your next lipid blood work appointment. LDL-P is extremely important but if you ask for a full lipoprofile or NMR, many of these more in-depth biomarkers will be measured.

Email me for extra assistance, especially when you have all of the data. I can help you customize a nutrition plan based on your blood work to support optimal health and performance.