Myoglobin blood test in Chiswick

What the test measures

Myoglobin is a small protein that stores oxygen inside muscle cells, both in skeletal muscle and in heart muscle. When muscle is injured, myoglobin leaks into the bloodstream and is then cleared by the kidneys. A raised blood level is therefore a sign that muscle somewhere in the body has been under stress or damaged.

Because any muscle releases it, myoglobin is not specific to the heart, and hospitals now rely on troponin for heart attacks. In a planned clinic setting it is most helpful for looking at muscle breakdown after intense exercise, injury or certain medicines.

Your price includes the sample taken at our Chiswick clinic, analysis at the Randox accredited laboratory, a practitioner review of your result and a GP feedback report on request. No GP referral is needed.

Important: if you have chest pain, sudden breathlessness, a painful swollen leg or other symptoms of a heart attack or blood clot, call 999 or go to A&E. Do not book a blood test.

Who it is for

• You train hard or compete and want to see how your muscles are coping with your workload.
• You have unexplained muscle aches, weakness or dark urine after exercise and your symptoms have settled.
• You take a statin or another medicine linked with muscle side effects and have been advised to check muscle markers.
• Your practitioner wants to follow up an earlier raised muscle marker such as creatine kinase.
• You are building a fuller picture of recovery as part of a sports or wellbeing assessment.

Understanding your result

Myoglobin rises and falls quickly after muscle damage, so timing matters. Raised levels can follow strenuous exercise, falls, injections into a muscle, some medicines and inflammatory muscle conditions. Very high levels can strain the kidneys, so a markedly raised result is followed up promptly. A low level is not usually significant.

Your report shows the laboratory reference range. Your practitioner will read the result with your activity, symptoms and other markers, and a result outside the range is a prompt for discussion, not a diagnosis.

Preparing for your test

You do not need to fast. Avoid hard training, long runs or heavy weight sessions for about two days beforehand unless you are deliberately testing recovery, as exercise alone can raise myoglobin. Tell us about recent falls, injections into a muscle and the medicines you take, especially statins. Drink water as usual.

For athletes, Sports Performance places myoglobin alongside creatine kinase, iron, hormones and recovery markers. Omnia Signature includes it within a much wider heart and metabolic picture. You can also compare every blood test and price in Chiswick.

Questions

How much is a myoglobin blood test in Chiswick?

A myoglobin test costs £79. This includes the sample at our clinic, laboratory analysis, a practitioner review of your result and a GP feedback report on request.

Can this test tell me if I have had a heart attack?

No. Myoglobin is not specific to the heart, and a clinic test is not the right route for heart symptoms. If you have chest pain or sudden breathlessness, call 999 or go to A&E.

How does myoglobin differ from creatine kinase?

Both are released from damaged muscle. Myoglobin rises and falls sooner, while creatine kinase stays raised for longer, so the two together help show the timing and extent of muscle stress.

Will a hard gym session affect my result?

Yes, which is why we suggest resting for two days beforehand.