How to read your Skyline report
Your report lists every marker on your profile, your result, the laboratory's reference range and a short note on what the marker measures. Here is how to read it without getting lost in the numbers.
The reference range is a population, not a target
A laboratory reference range is usually built from a large group of apparently healthy people, with the middle 95% defining "normal". That means around one healthy person in twenty falls outside it on any given marker. It also means ranges differ between laboratories, so always read a result against the range printed on the same report.
Flags
A result outside the range is flagged high or low. A flag is a prompt, not a verdict: a slightly high creatinine the day after a long run, or a raised creatine kinase after a race, is what you would expect. The question is whether it is explained by what you did, and whether it is still there when you repeat the test rested.
"Normal" and "optimal"
You will see the word optimal used a lot in blood testing. There is no single agreed optimal range for most markers. Where good evidence exists for a tighter target, for example ferritin in endurance athletes or vitamin D over winter, we say so and cite it. Where it does not, we show the laboratory range and leave it there.
Trends beat snapshots
One result tells you where you are today. Two or three over a season tell you which way you are moving, and that is where blood testing earns its keep. Test at the same point in your training week each time, rested and hydrated, and compare like with like.
When to take it to your GP
- Any flagged result that is still flagged on a rested repeat.
- Any result the report highlights as needing a conversation, however you feel.
- Symptoms with a "normal" report. Ranges are population averages; you are not.
Skyline does not diagnose or treat. We give you clear numbers and the context to understand them; your GP or clinician decides what, if anything, needs doing.
This article is educational. It explains what a marker is and what can move it; it does not interpret your results or replace advice from your GP.
