Quest Diagnostics, Madison, NJ, has expanded access to its Blueprint for Athletes service for amateur and competitive athletes. The biomarker testing service provides athletes insights into their own biology to help improve fitness and performance.

The new services feature a field kit for at-home specimen collection using the Mitra microsampling device, which makes possible highly precise collection. With at-home sampling, an individual simply orders online, receives a kit with the device in the mail a few days later, collects a few drops of blood from her or his fingertip, and drops the sample in the mail to the lab. At-home collection sampling is now available as part of the Blueprint for Athletes hormone package, and is expected to be made available with other Blueprint for Athletes services later this year.

The kit will include a preaddressed return shipping label. There is no minimum or maximum time period; users can take the test and return it at their convenience.

An additional Blueprint for Athletes offering is ‘concierge collection,’ in which trained phlebotomists will visit a person’s home or other location to collect a blood specimen for testing. Hormone and the other Blueprint for Athlete services involve biometric testing of blood serum rather than DNA testing of saliva.

 Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, Quest Diagnostics.

Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, Quest Diagnostics.

“Based on our 50 years of diagnostic innovation, Quest is uniquely positioned to bring new capabilities to the consumer market,” says Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, senior vice president of research and development, and chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics. “The microsampling and concierge options complement the overall enhancements to our Blueprint for Athletes offering, empowering individuals to pursue their athletic and fitness pursuits armed with the individualized insights only state-of-the-art biometric lab testing can provide.”

Blueprint for Athletes is now available for order in 33 states. Because Blueprint for Athletes is based on medical-grade diagnostic tests, it is subject to several federal and state regulations.

Richard C. Schwabacher, Quest Diagnostics.

Richard C. Schwabacher, Quest Diagnostics.

“With these new services, athletes have the flexibility to choose options that offer convenience in their busy lives and meet their fitness objectives, backed by scientific expertise from the world’s largest medical diagnostic provider,” says Richard C. Schwabacher, executive director of sports science and human performance at Quest Diagnostics. “Based on actionable information from their test results, athletes can design a program to achieve their personal best.”

Blueprint for Athletes is the first fitness-specific direct-to-consumer service from Quest Diagnostics. The service was developed in collaboration with experts in the fields of nutrition, exercise physiology, athletic training, and human performance, and the New York Giants football team.

For more information, visit Quest Diagnostics.