Key takeaways:
-
Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone, shaping things like energy, focus, recovery, and sleep.
-
Hormometer™ lets you track cortisol in real time with a simple saliva test and the Eli app.
-
Morning and evening tests capture your daily rhythm; spot tests show how things like workouts, stress, or rest affect you.
-
Patterns matter more than single results; multiple tests reveal your trends.
-
Small lifestyle changes can help restore balance and support daily and long-term health.
This guide will help you get the most out of your Hormometer™. With just a quick saliva sample and the Eli app on your phone, you can see how your cortisol changes in real time.
Whether you want to understand how stress affects you, improve your recovery, or simply see your daily rhythm more clearly, this is your starting point.
Why track cortisol?
1. Cortisol regulates your body.
Cortisol is one of the most essential hormones in the human body. It affects how we wake up, handle stress, fight inflammation, recover from workouts, and even how we age. Most people never track it.
2. Your body runs on a daily rhythm.
Cortisol follows a natural daily cycle known as the diurnal curve, peaking in the morning to help you wake up and start your day and dropping gradually through the day to support rest and recovery and night.
When this rhythm is disrupted, you’re going to feel it across everything from sleep to focus to metabolism.
3. Disruption can be reversed.
Chronic stress, poor sleep, light exposure, irregular routines, and diet can all throw off your cortisol rhythm. The good news is that cortisol rhythm can be rebalanced.By measuring it consistently and understanding your patterns, you can make simple lifestyle changes that support recovery, energy, and long-term resilience.
Getting started.
Step 1. Download the app.
Start by downloading the Eli app on your iPhone. The app for Android is coming soon
-
Create your account.
-
Confirm your email address via the link sent to your inbox.
-
Follow the steps to get started..
If you run into any issues, email ask@eli.health.
Step 2. Take your first cortisol test.
You’ll need:
-
A HormometerTM test
-
the Eli app
-
a flat, well-lit surface
Before you test:
-
Avoid eating, drinking (other than water), brushing your teeth, or smoking for at least 30 minutes.
-
Skip biotin supplements for 24 hours.
When you’re ready to test, follow the step-by-step guide in the app. Be sure to soak the sponge fully with saliva; a light touch to the tongue won’t work. And when it comes time to pull the test tab, pull it firmly until the entire blue dot is revealed.
Want to learn more about how the Hormometer works?
Discover the tech→
Interpreting your results.
After scanning your test, your app will show your test results right away. You’ll see two thing immediately:::
-
Cortisol score. A number between 0 and 100 that shows how your result compares to healthy levels for that time of day. A higher score means closer alignment with your body’s optimal cortisol rhythm.
-
Lifestyle log prompt. A quick check-in to capture how you slept, exercised, or felt that day. These reflections help contextualize your results and build your hormone journal.
As you collect more results across different times and days, the app uncovers larger patterns: :
-
Diurnal rhythm tracking. Your results are mapped against a typical cortisol curve, so you can see how your rhythm aligns with expected biological patterns.
-
Trend graphs. Visualizations highlight how your cortisol shifts throughout the day and over time, creating a personal hormone profile.
-
Personalized insights. Summaries point out consistencies, fluctuations, and possible lifestyle connections, helping you understand what influences your hormone health.
-
When to test.
Option 1: Track your daily rhythm for baseline testing:
-
Test in the morning: 30 minutes after waking to capture your natural peak.
-
Test in the evening: 1–2 hours before bed to capture your lowest point.
Option 2: Spot test:
-
After workouts → to see recovery response
-
Following stress → to capture acute spikes
-
After rest → to measure recovery
-
On restless nights → to check cortisol’s role in disrupted sleep
Option 3: Deeper insight
-
Test multiple times in one day for a full rhythm curve
-
Compare weekdays vs. weekends to see routine effects
-
Experiment with post-meal vs. fasted tests
Need a more personalized measurement protocol? Book a slot with an Eli HQ member.
Troubleshooting.
If something doesn’t work, check these basic best practices:
-
Soak the sponge fully with saliva; light contact won’t activate the chemistry.
-
Pull the tab firmly and fully until the blue dot is fully revealed.
If no line appears, the chemistry doesn't activate. Repeat the test with a new strip.
|
Undersaturated pad or weak pull? No reaction. |
Full soak and strong pull? Test activates perfectly. |
|---|---|
|
|
Quick problem solving
Still having trouble? Reach out to ask@eli.health for fast support.
