01
The Struggle
As a cycling coach, Owen Blake knew endurance, but his own was vanishing. His legs felt like sandbags, recovery slowed, and his mind clouded. He tried everything: protein shakes, electrolyte boosters, more mileage. Nothing worked.
A friend suggested testing. His labs revealed the hidden deficit: Ferritin 14 ng/mL, B12 295 pg/mL, Folate 5.1 ng/mL, Vitamin D 22, Magnesium 1.78 mg/dL, Zinc 63 µg/dL. He was, as his doctor put it, 'depleted, not unfit.'
02
The Breaking Point
During a mountain ride, his vision tunneled and he had to stop halfway, something that hadn’t happened in fifteen years. Sitting by the trail, staring at his bike, he whispered, 'I’m strong, but not powered.' Later that night, he discovered Vitals Vault, whose tagline, 'Energy begins with absorption', hit harder than any training mantra. He ordered the test immediately.
03
The Discovery
Vitals Vault’s results reframed his fatigue: low intracellular nutrient uptake despite adequate diet. Homocysteine elevated, B12 bound but unconverted, and low ferritin storage explained his declining stamina. The AI report noted: 'Micronutrient deficiency with low methylation efficiency; prioritize absorption, not intake.'
He began methylated supplements, iron citrate, and transdermal magnesium, along with reduced alcohol and increased rest. His workouts were cut in half, his humility doubled.
04
The Process
By Week 7, energy began to return. His first re-test showed B12 455, Ferritin 34, Vitamin D 36, Folate 7.7, Magnesium 2.02. He felt the difference most in the silence between breaths — less gasping, more flow.
At three months, his legs stopped burning prematurely; his pulse steadied. He wrote in his journal: 'Absorption is endurance.' He started teaching his athletes that fatigue wasn’t failure, it was feedback.
05
The Breakthrough
By month nine, his Vitals Vault dashboard glowed green: Ferritin 60, B12 640, Vitamin D 47, Magnesium 2.28, Zinc 85, Folate 10.4. His lactate threshold improved by 12%, despite lighter training.
“I didn’t need a better bike,” he said. “I needed better biochemistry.”
Now, every ride felt like a reminder that performance isn’t built in muscles, it’s powered by molecules.
06
The Reflection
Owen now mentors young cyclists on data-backed recovery. He tells them, 'Train less. Absorb more.'
“Endurance isn’t how long you move,” he says. “It’s how deeply your body remembers what it’s given.”
He uploads his biomarker trends monthly, proof that nutrient repletion isn’t a supplement plan. It’s a philosophy of presence.
