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Cordyceps For Energy Enhancement, Endurance & Exercise

Cordyceps For Energy Enhancement

Cordyceps, a Tibetan mushroom found on the plateau of Tibet and China (12,000 feet up!).

Chinese medicine claims cordyceps are great for lung protection and balancing Qi as they assist in speeding up the transfer of oxygen from red blood cells to mitochondria.

What does this mean?

Slower onset of fatigue, an increase in oxygen uptake and an overall increase in endurance-based exercises (runners love cordyceps!).

Sherpas from Tibet make tea with Cordyceps as an aid when climbing Everest (claiming that by doing so they don't need supplemental oxygen).

Unlike many uncoventional supplements that make wild claims without any proof to back it up, Cordyceps actually has studies to back it up.

Studies On Cordyceps For Energy/Endurance

Improving Training Condition Assessment in Endurance Cyclists: Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Ophiocordyceps sinensis Dietary Supplementation

"We evaluated the testosterone/cortisol ratio in athletes at risk of overtraining, just before and just after the races in both the placebo phase and after 3 months of fungal supplementation (Figure 3(c)). After 3 months of fungal supplementation, the ratio values of the two athletes increased both before race (1.24 versus 0.66, values multiplied by 100) and after race (ratio 1.13 versus 0.2, values multiplied by 100).

In the placebo condition, the testosterone/cortisol ratio decreased by an average of −69.3%, suggesting that the athlete was at risk of overtraining [20], while after fungal supplementation it decreased by an average of −8.7%, so the athlete was no longer at risk of overtraining.

Four out of the 5 athletes who were shown to be at risk of overtraining in the placebo condition overcame these symptoms after fungal supplementation, whereas the testosterone/cortisol ratio in the remaining athlete in this group did not improve. After fungal supplementation, all athletes displayed an increase in the T/C ratio after race compared to before race."

Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation

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"To date, minimal research evaluating the use of cordyceps militaris on human performance exists, especially for an acute time-period. Results of the current study demonstrate that one week of supplementation with a cordyceps militaris containing mushroom blend at 4 g·d−1 did not significantly improve performance compared to a placebo. However, an exploratory three week supplementation period resulted in significant improvements in maximal oxygen consumption, with potential improvements in ventilatory threshold and time to exhaustion, suggesting the potential for greater benefits with chronic supplementation."

Effect of Cs-4® (Cordyceps sinensis) on Exercise Performance in Healthy Older Subjects: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

"After receiving Cs-4 for 12 weeks, the metabolic threshold (above which lactate accumulates) increased by 10.5% from 0.83 ± 0.06 to 0.93 ± 0.08 L/min (p < 0.02) and the ventilatory threshold (above which unbuffered H+ stimulates ventilation) increased by 8.5% from 1.25 ± 0.11 to 1.36 ± 0.15 L/min. Significant changes in metabolic or ventilatory threshold were not seen for the subjects in the placebo group after 12 weeks, and there were no changes in V̇o2 max in either group.

This pilot study suggests that supplementation with Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) improves exercise performance and might contribute to wellness in healthy older subjects."

Cordyceps Sinensis Promotes Exercise Endurance Capacity

"Cordyceps supplementation with or without exercise improves exercise endurance capacity by activating the skeletal muscle metabolic regulators and a coordinated antioxidant response. Consequently, CS can be used as a potent natural exercise mimetic."

My Energy/Endurance Supplement Stack With Cordyceps

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What's Your Take On Cordyceps? Let Me Know Below! 

Scott J.
Scott J.https://ignorelimits.com
I’m SJ. I’m a fitness enthusiast and published author. I transformed my body from a skinny fat 135lbs with 18% body fat to a solid 192lbs at 8% body fat. I became qualified in a field I was passionate about. I founded several online businesses that allow me to pursue ideas and projects in my life that I am passionate about without having to constantly worry about money. I published several eBooks explaining the training and dieting techniques I used to achieve the body I have today. I learnt a plethora of new information on dieting and fitness by reading and applying what I read, to find out what does work and what doesn’t work, because as I’m sure you’ve noticed the health and fitness industry is full of non-sense claims and BS. I found out what was true and what worked for me and applied that knowledge. And you bet I had fun during the whole process.

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