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VIGEO Health — Optimize Your Micronutrients

When Should Athletes Test Minerals Around Race Season?

Test during base or early build, when there is still runway to act on the results, and again in recovery after your goal race to see what the season actually cost. Testing during peak or taper tells you something interesting but too late to use. Deep detox work belongs in the off-season, never during a build.

Dawn Westrum
Dawn WestrumNutritionist & IIN Health Coach · ultrarunner, Ironman, 2015 Red Bull X-Alps
Last reviewed August 26, 2026

The season timeline

Race season timing
BaseTest here. Time to correct before load ramps.
Early buildRetest if base showed depletion.
PeakToo late to act. Skip.
RaceNothing new. Execute.
RecoveryTest here. Shows what the season actually cost.
PhaseTest?Why
BaseYesTime to correct before load ramps
Early buildYes, if base showed depletionConfirms the correction is working
PeakNoToo late to act without disrupting the build
Race weekNoNothing new. Execute.
RecoveryYesShows what the season cost

Why timing changes what a result is worth

A number you cannot act on is data, not information.

Finding depletion six weeks before a goal race leaves you two poor options: change something during a taper, which risks the race, or note it and carry on. Finding the same depletion during base leaves you months.

The recovery scan is the underrated one. Most people test when something is wrong. Testing after a season tells you what a season of that volume does to you specifically — and that is the number that shapes next year.

The rule that matters most

Never start aggressive detox or chelation work during a training build.

Mobilising metals faster than you clear them makes you feel worse, and asking for adaptation at the same time is a poor trade. If a scan shows significant burden mid-season, support the basics now and address the burden after your goal race.

More: /chelation

Making repeat scans comparable

  • Same hand every time. The non-dominant hand retains 10 to 15% more heavy metals; switching hands looks like progress or regression and is neither.
  • Similar conditions. Comparing a post-race scan to a rested off-season scan tells you about the race, not about progress.
  • Note the training phase alongside every result.
Important considerations

What to keep in mind

  • Testing shows patterns, not diagnoses.
  • Does not replace medical evaluation of persistent symptoms.
  • One scan is a snapshot; the value is in the trend.
Questions this guide answers
  1. When should athletes test minerals around race season?
  2. Can you do a detox during training?
  3. Why use the same hand for repeat scans?