Cordyceps for Sports & Fitness

Common name: Caterpillar fungus, Deer fungus parasite, Chongcao

Botanical names: Cordyceps spp.

Why do athletes use it?*

Some athletes say that cordyceps

helps strengthen the body when fatigued.

What do the advocates say?*

Currently, there are over 160 articles published regarding the effects of the administration of cordyceps. However, only a couple of these articles are related to its effect on exercise performance. One of these articles suggested that cordyceps may enhance exercise capacity by improving glucose tolerance.

It was also reported that cordyceps containing cordysepic acid and adenosine has demonstrated an ability to increase energy and endurance as well as reduce the onset of exercise-related fatigue.

Some athletes who participate in endurance exercise events, such as distance running, swimming, cycling, adventure racing, etc., rather than sprinting, weight-lifting, etc. notice an improvement in exercise capacity and tolerance from supplementing with cordyceps.

How much is usually taken by athletes?

The recommended intake of cordyceps is 3 to 9 grams taken twice daily as a liquid extract, as food, or as powdered extract.¹

Are there any side effects or interactions?

There are insufficient studies on the safety of cordyceps. However, it has a long history of use as a food and is generally considered safe.² There is no information available about safety in pregnancy, lactation, or use in children.

There are two reported cases of lead poisoning associated with the use of apparently contaminated cordyceps powder.³ Cordyceps should only be purchased from companies that test to exclude heavy metal contamination.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with cordyceps.

Parts used and where grown

Cordyceps sinensis in its sexual stage is the primary form used.⁴ However, more than ten related species (in sexual and asexual stages) as well as artificially cultured mycelium are today used as substitutes in commercial preparations. C. sinensis, C. ophioglossoides, C. capita, and C. militaris are the most common species in commerce.

Resources

See a list of books, periodicals, and other resources for this and related topics.

*Athletes and fitness advocates may claim benefits for cordyceps based on their personal or professional experience. These are individual opinions and testimonials that may or may not be supported by controlled clinical studies or published scientific articles on cordyceps. For more complete and detailed information, including references and safety information, see Cordyceps as an herbal remedy.

References

1. Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms: An exploration of tradition, healing & culture. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press, 1995.

2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1998.

3. Wu TN, Yang KC, Wang CM, et al. Lead poisoning caused by contaminated Cordyceps, a Chinese herbal medicine: Two case reports. Sci Total Environ 1996;182:193–5.

4. Yue QC, Ning W, Hui Z, Liang HQ. Differentiation of medicinal Cordyceps species by rDNA ITS sequence analysis. Planta Med 2002;68:635–39.

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.