MetabolicMarkers

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Current promotion

Insulin Resistance Testing: Glucose Tolerance & Insulin Response

Go beyond a single fasting reading with multi-specimen glucose tolerance and insulin response testing.

Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission when you purchase lab tests through links on this site, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

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Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring panels from $23.16 to $296.76 with the 20% promotion applied (promotional pricing at time of writing; list prices $28.95-$370.95).

At a glance

Insulin resistance testing measures how your body responds to glucose over time, using multi-specimen glucose tolerance tests, insulin response to glucose, adiponectin, proinsulin, and hemoglobin A1c rather than a single fasting reading. These Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring panels are for adults who want a detailed picture of glucose metabolism and insulin function, including antibody markers associated with autoimmune forms of diabetes. Four tiers range from a simple glucose-plus-A1c check to a seven-test comprehensive panel.

Best suited for

  • Adults with normal fasting glucose who want to see how their body handles a glucose load over time
  • People tracking markers associated with insulin resistance alongside diet, training, or weight changes
  • Those with a family history of diabetes who want a more detailed baseline than glucose alone
  • Anyone whose doctor has suggested glucose tolerance or insulin response testing
  • Self-trackers who want antibody and hormone context, adiponectin, proinsulin, GAD-65, IA-2, to discuss with their physician

What's included

Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring - Comprehensive

7 tests, 17 biomarkers: adiponectin, 5-specimen glucose tolerance, GAD-65 and IA-2 antibodies, HbA1c, 4-specimen insulin response, proinsulin

Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring - Advanced

5 tests, 14 biomarkers: adiponectin, 4-specimen glucose tolerance, GAD-65 antibody, HbA1c, 4-specimen insulin response

Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring - Basic Plus

4 tests, 10 biomarkers: 3-specimen glucose tolerance, GAD-65 antibody, HbA1c, 3-specimen insulin response

Advanced Blood Sugar Monitoring - Basic

2 tests: glucose and hemoglobin A1c

Diabetes Management - Comprehensive

9 tests, 72 biomarkers: adds kidney, lipid, and inflammation markers for whole-body monitoring

Diabetes Management - Advanced

7 tests, 68 biomarkers: glucose control, kidney function, lipid metabolism, and insulin levels

Diabetes Management - Basic Plus

5 tests, 65 biomarkers: glucose control, kidney function, blood health, and lipid metabolism

Diabetes Management - Basic

3 tests, 25 biomarkers: metabolic status, glucose control, and kidney function

Deep-dive the key markers: Fasting Glucose, HbA1c, Fasting Insulin, eGFR, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides, hs-CRP

Key biomarker ranges

Commonly used adult reference ranges for markers this panel measures, labs vary, so always interpret results against your lab's stated ranges and with your doctor.

Fasting Glucose (mg/dL)

Commonly used reference ranges place fasting glucose at 70–99 mg/dL; results vary with sleep, stress, and recent illness, and labs differ slightly.

Fasting Glucose reference ranges (mg/dL)
ZoneRange
Low50–70 mg/dL
Optimal70–100 mg/dL
Prediabetic range100–126 mg/dL
Diabetic range126–160 mg/dL
Hemoglobin A1c (%)

Commonly used reference ranges place HbA1c below 5.7%; conditions affecting red blood cells can skew results, so labs and clinicians interpret in context.

Hemoglobin A1c reference ranges (%)
ZoneRange
Optimal4–5.7 %
Prediabetic range5.7–6.5 %
Diabetic range6.5–10 %
Fasting Insulin (µIU/mL)

Commonly used reference ranges accept up to ~25 µIU/mL, but many clinicians view single-digit fasting insulin as the more informative target; assays vary by lab.

Fasting Insulin reference ranges (µIU/mL)
ZoneRange
Low0–2 µIU/mL
Optimal2–10 µIU/mL
Above optimal10–25 µIU/mL
High25–30 µIU/mL

The importance of testing

A single fasting glucose reading can look unremarkable while telling you little about how your body actually processes sugar. Multi-specimen glucose tolerance testing draws blood at several points after a glucose challenge, and pairing it with an insulin response test shows how much insulin your body produces to keep those glucose values in range, the dynamic view that a one-off snapshot misses.

The supporting markers each add a distinct angle. Hemoglobin A1c reflects average glucose over roughly three months, adiponectin is a hormone involved in insulin sensitivity, and proinsulin offers a window into insulin production. The comprehensive tier also includes GAD-65 and IA-2 antibodies, markers associated with autoimmune forms of diabetes, which can be a useful data point to review with your doctor when the type of blood sugar issue is unclear.

Tracked over time, these results show direction, not just position. Repeating the same panel after changes to diet, training, sleep, or a doctor-guided plan lets you see whether glucose handling and insulin response are shifting, and gives your healthcare provider concrete numbers to work from. The partner currently discounts all tiers by 20%, which makes repeat testing more practical.

Part of our complete guide to Diabetes & Blood Sugar Lab Tests — browse every panel and biomarker guide in this hub.

Promo code

ULTADBS

Save 20% with code ULTADBS, current promotion; confirm final pricing on the partner page.

Ready to get your numbers? Order online, visit a nearby draw site, and receive private results to review with your doctor.

Order Now

Frequently asked questions

What does insulin resistance testing measure?

It measures how your glucose and insulin levels behave over time, not just at a single fasting moment, using multi-specimen glucose tolerance tests and an insulin response to glucose test. The larger panels add adiponectin, proinsulin, hemoglobin A1c, and GAD-65 and IA-2 antibodies, giving a broad view of glucose metabolism and insulin function to review with your doctor.

What is a multi-specimen glucose tolerance test?

It is a test in which blood is drawn several times, 3, 4, or 5 specimens depending on the panel tier, around a glucose challenge, so the lab can chart how your blood sugar changes over time. Paired with the insulin response test, it shows both the glucose curve and the insulin your body produced to manage it.

Do these panels confirm diabetes or insulin resistance?

No, these panels measure and track markers associated with glucose metabolism and insulin function; they are not intended to confirm any condition. Results are delivered to you as data points to review with your doctor, who can interpret them in the context of your health history and decide whether follow-up is needed.

Can I order this testing without a doctor's visit?

Yes, you can add a panel to your cart and order directly online through the partner page without scheduling a doctor's appointment first. Ulta Lab Tests is a direct-to-consumer service: you order, visit a local draw location for your specimens, and receive the results yourself to share with your physician.

Is this testing available in every US state?

No, direct-to-consumer lab testing is restricted or prohibited in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, so residents of those states may be blocked at the partner's checkout. Elsewhere in the US, you can typically order online and complete the draws at a nearby patient service center.

References

  1. [1] Hidden Risks behind Normal Fasting Glucose: Is It Significant? — Diabetes & Metabolism Journal (Korean Diabetes Association, via PMC)
  2. [2] Good to Know: Factors Affecting Blood Glucose — Clinical Diabetes, American Diabetes Association (via PMC)
  3. [3] Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  4. [4] Interpreting A1C: Principles of the A1C Assay — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  5. [5] Interpreting A1C: Diabetes and Hemoglobin Variants — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  6. [6] The A1C Test & Diabetes — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  7. [7] What Is Diabetes? — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  8. [8] Surrogate markers of insulin resistance: A review — World Journal of Diabetes (via PMC)
  9. [9] Insulin Assay Standardization: Leading to Measures of Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion for Practical Clinical Care — Diabetes Care, American Diabetes Association (via PMC)
  10. [10] Physiology, Glomerular Filtration Rate — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  11. [11] Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) — National Kidney Foundation
  12. [12] What Is Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults? — NIDDK (NIH)
  13. [13] Is It Time for a Requiem for Creatine Supplementation-Induced Kidney Failure? A Narrative Review — Nutrients
  14. [14] Estimated GFR (eGFR) Test: Kidney Function Levels, Stages, and What to Do Next — National Kidney Foundation
  15. [15] LDL: The 'Bad' Cholesterol — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  16. [16] Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel — European Heart Journal
  17. [17] Familial Hypercholesterolemia — GeneReviews, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  18. [18] Hypercholesterolemia — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  19. [19] Low HDL Cholesterol — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  20. [20] HPS2-THRIVE, AIM-HIGH and dal-OUTCOMES: HDL-cholesterol under attack — Global Cardiology Science & Practice
  21. [21] Metabolic syndrome — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  22. [22] Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  23. [23] Triglycerides — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  24. [24] Hypertriglyceridemia — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)
  25. [25] High Blood Triglycerides — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
  26. [26] C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  27. [27] Assessing Cardiovascular Risk with C-Reactive Protein — Johns Hopkins Medicine
  28. [28] C-Reactive Protein: Clinical Relevance and Interpretation — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)

Reviewed by

Jason August

Jason August

Founder & Editorial Lead

Jason August is the founder of Metabolic Markers and its parent company, Advancing Development. He has spent his career building and scaling real-world ventures, including as a founding team member at Build-A-Bear Workshop during its growth from startup to global public company, and since then across capital, real estate, adaptive reuse, and hospitality. He founded Metabolic Markers to make blood-biomarker testing easier to understand and access, and oversees the site’s content and editorial accuracy. Jason is not a medical professional; all content on this site is educational, reviewed for accuracy, and never a substitute for advice from a licensed physician.

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