It evaluates how well your growth hormone system is working by measuring a stable downstream signal in your blood. Superpower tests your blood for IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which reflects average GH action from the liver over days, not minutes. Random GH itself pulses and is unreliable. Low age- and sex-adjusted IGF-1 suggests reduced GH axis activity; normal values make severe deficiency less likely; very high values suggest GH excess. When results are unclear, dynamic GH stimulation tests may be needed to confirm physiology.

GH signaling influences body composition, bone mineral density, lipid metabolism, cardiovascular risk, and vitality. Measuring IGF-1 gives a steady readout of the somatotropic axis, helping explain slow growth (in youth), low bone density, adverse fat distribution, or low energy in adults. Superpower tests your blood for IGF-1 to screen for clinically meaningful GH deficiency or excess and to provide context for symptoms that may reflect hypothalamic–pituitary–liver pathway dysfunction.

Yes. With Superpower, our team can organize a licensed professional to draw your blood at home for IGF-1 testing. The sample is processed by a certified laboratory, and results are interpreted in the context of your age and sex. This keeps the process convenient while preserving analytical quality and clinical accuracy for assessing your growth hormone–IGF axis.

For screening, a single IGF-1 is often enough. Retest if your clinical picture changes, after significant health shifts (illness, weight change, new medications), or when monitoring dose adjustments if you are on GH therapy. During GH dose titration, IGF-1 is typically checked more frequently, then periodically to ensure levels remain in the target age-adjusted range. Otherwise, routine repeat testing is not needed without a new question to answer.

Age and sex strongly shape the reference range. Puberty and pregnancy raise IGF-1; aging lowers it. Liver disease, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, uncontrolled diabetes, malnutrition, and systemic inflammation can lower IGF-1 independent of GH secretion. Oral estrogens, glucocorticoids, and androgens alter readings. Obesity reduces GH secretion and may blunt IGF-1. Acute illness, recent strenuous exercise, and assay differences also shift values. These factors are considered when interpreting your result.

No special prep is required. You do not need to fast, and time of day is not critical because IGF-1 is stable. Very high-dose biotin supplements can interfere with some immunoassays; avoiding them for 24–72 hours helps prevent false results. If you use oral estrogen, are acutely ill, or recently had major changes in diet or weight, results may shift; this context is used in interpretation.

Yes. Energy balance and adequate protein support higher IGF-1; severe calorie deficiency suppresses it. Sleep quality and circadian regularity help stabilize the GH–IGF axis. High visceral adiposity and insulin resistance dampen GH output and can lower IGF-1. Extreme endurance training or acute overreaching may transiently alter levels. These influences reflect whole-system physiology rather than disease alone.

Compare IGF-1 to an age- and sex-specific range. Low IGF-1 suggests reduced GH axis activity and supports, but does not prove, GH deficiency. Normal IGF-1 makes severe deficiency unlikely but does not exclude milder forms. High IGF-1 points toward GH excess. Clinical context and other pituitary hormones matter. When results and symptoms diverge, formal GH stimulation testing provides definitive assessment of somatotropic function. Superpower tests your blood for IGF-1 and frames it within this physiology.