Glucose
Glucose
What This Marker Tells Us
Measures blood sugar after an overnight fast, revealing your baseline glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity independent of recent meals.
Why It Matters
Glucose is the body's primary fuel, but chronically elevated levels damage blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, eyes, and brain through glycation and oxidative stress. Fasting glucose rises only after insulin resistance is advanced, making it a late marker of metabolic dysfunction. However, even small elevations within the "normal" range predict diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and mortality. Optimal glucose control prevents these complications and supports healthy aging.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Low fasting glucose (below 70 mg/dL) may indicate excellent metabolic health but can signal hypoglycemia requiring investigation if symptomatic. Optimal glucose (70-85 mg/dL) indicates excellent insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. Typical glucose (86-99 mg/dL) suggests adequate control with room for optimization. Prediabetes (100-125 mg/dL) signals significant insulin resistance and high diabetes risk. Diabetes (126+ mg/dL on repeat testing) requires medical management.
What Influences This Marker
Dietary carbohydrate intake, insulin resistance, physical activity, sleep quality, stress, and body composition profoundly affect glucose. Refined carbohydrates and added sugars worsen insulin resistance, elevating fasting glucose. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. Weight loss, low-carb diets, adequate sleep, and stress management optimize glucose control. Medications, illness, and hormones temporarily affect levels.
How Your Team Uses It
Your coach uses fasting glucose to assess metabolic health and diabetes risk, guiding dietary strategies, exercise prescription, and lifestyle interventions. Rising glucose triggers comprehensive metabolic optimization before diabetes develops. It's tracked alongside insulin, A1C, and continuous glucose monitoring for complete glycemic assessment.
Related Signals We Also Review
Hemoglobin A1C, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, estimated average glucose, triglycerides, and continuous glucose monitoring complete the glucose metabolism evaluation.