Skip to content

Lab — signal glossary

Signals are the engine's output. This is the reference if you forget what a signal name means or want to know its normal range.

How signals are classified

Every signal carries two orthogonal classification axes plus two informational fields, all of which surface in the UI:

  • type — biological family (hormone, neurotransmitter, metabolic, circadian, derived, organ-health, nutrient, hematology). Drives the "Biological System" grouping in the chart.
  • kind — representation paradigm (analyte, drug-concentration, vital-sign, body-composition, flux, activity, pool, index, pro). Drives how the signal is rendered and explained.
  • measurability — how to obtain a real value: lab, cgm, wearable, self-report, anthropometric, modeled-only. Multi-valued.
  • timescale — dominant change rate: seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months. Sets the default chart zoom.

See Signal categories for the user-facing version of these axes.

How to use this page

  • Signals are grouped by category — circadian, metabolic, neurochemical, hormonal, etc.
  • Each entry shows: definition, units, normal range, kind, measurability, primary influencers
  • Cross-linked back to the simulator views that visualize each signal

Categories

  • Circadian — melatonin, adenosine pressure, orexin, histamine
  • Metabolic — glucose, insulin, glucagon, leptin, GLP-1, ketone, fat oxidation rate, weight, fat mass
  • Neurochemical — dopamine, serotonin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, endorphin, anandamide
  • Hormonal — testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, growth hormone, IGF-1, cortisol, thyroid, TSH
  • Inflammatory — hsCRP, ferritin (also nutritional)
  • Cardiovascular — HRV, blood pressure, vagal tone, nitric oxide
  • Organ markers — ALT, AST, eGFR, creatinine, bilirubin, albumin, potassium
  • Hematology — hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, WBC
  • Nutritional — vitamin D, B12, folate, magnesium, ferritin, zinc, selenium, copper, choline, chromium, iron
  • Composite / index — strength readiness, neuroplasticity score, energy availability, libido, appetite, sensory load
  • Subjective / PRO — Energy, Focus, Calm, Mood, Social, Overwhelm, Sleep Pressure (see The meters panel)

Help docs for Protokol Tracker and Protokol Lab.