Percent of Saturation, Serum Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity, Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity, Ferritin
This panel answers a specific question: does your body have enough usable iron, and how well is it storing and transporting it? Serum iron alone can fluctuate with your last meal and time of day, which is why it's paired here with Total Iron Binding Capacity, UIBC, and the calculated Transferrin Saturation — together these reveal whether your transport system is running full, empty, or overloaded. Ferritin then estimates your stored iron reserves, often the earliest marker to drop before iron deficiency shows up elsewhere. Reading these markers together helps distinguish true iron depletion from a normal day-to-day dip, and can flag the opposite problem of iron overload. From one blood draw you get a complete picture of intake, transport, and storage, along with results you can discuss with a clinician and re-check over time. Ordering these markers separately typically costs more and gives a fragmented view, whereas this combination is interpreted as a set.
For athletes & active people
Iron status is especially relevant for endurance and high-volume athletes, who can lose iron through sweat, foot-strike hemolysis, and gastrointestinal losses, and who depend on iron for oxygen transport and aerobic performance. Low ferritin — even before frank anemia — is a common contributor to unexplained fatigue, stalled adaptation, and poor recovery. Tracking these markers periodically can help you catch a downward trend early and confirm that a dietary or supplement change is actually working.
Order online
Choose your lab and check out. We send your lab requisition automatically — no doctor visit needed.
Get your sample collected
Visit a lab service center near you for a quick blood draw (or book at-home phlebotomy where available).
See your results
Your results land in your Insider portal, ready to review and act on — that easy.
Insider panel price
$13.00$120
9.2× less than retail
Versus the typical direct-to-consumer retail cost of ordering these tests individually (illustrative — consumer prices vary by provider and region). Your $20 order fee is waived as an Insider.
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the educational content on this page.
