Myoglobin is a protein present in the muscles of the body. Myoglobin tests are performed to identify if a person has symptoms of a heart attack or any such damage to the heart muscle.

  Myoglobin stores oxygen within heart and skeletal muscle. Oxygen is constantly released into the bloodstream in minimal quantity. When a person moves a muscle, it utilizes the available oxygen from the Myoglobin. Therefore, myoglobin is responsible for providing an additional reserve of oxygen. This helps the muscle to remain active for a longer duration. The kidneys are responsible for removing myoglobin through urine.

  When muscles are injured during a heart attack or blunt muscle trauma, a large amount of myoglobin is released into the blood and its levels rise. Potentially dangerous situation arises because myoglobin is toxic to the kidneys. Normally, myoglobin is one of the first tests to be performed to ascertain whether a person experiencing chest pain may have a heart attack.

  Myoglobin is often ordered with troponin to rule out a heart attack. The normal range of Myoglobin is 0 to 85 (nanograms per milliliter) ng/ml. If you are getting negative values, it also indicates normal health state. Though normal values may alter slightly among different laboratories. However, the higher Myoglobin range indicates skeletal muscle ischemia or blood deficiency, skeltal muscle trauma, inflammation, and heart attack.