Posted on 22 August 202225 August 2022 by Dr Cliff Harvey

Cordyceps – for more pep in your step!

Cordyceps is nature’s energy booster and a must if you need to get more out of daily life. It’s been used for centuries in China and Tibet to support performance and endurance, and as a universal tonic for greater mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. And whilst previously the vitality elixir of choice by Chinese emperors, luckily now you don’t need to be royalty to get the benefits of this incredible little mushroom!

How do I know if it’s right for me?

Do you want to:

Have more get up and go in the morning?
Support your alertness at school or work?
Support your lung capacity for workouts or just to breathe easier?
Double down on your sports or fitness training?
Get that extra burst of speed or endurance during competitions or periods of intense work?
Jump-start flagging energy levels in the afternoon or any time an energy-slump looms?
Put some extra zing in your love life!?

If so, then Cordyceps is the mushroom for you.

Energy boost

It’s a strong energy recharger, so if you feel your body battery is starting to feel a bit drained, or you want to enhance your peak performance, this is the functional mushroom of choice.

You would think Cordyceps is the fuel that powers elite athletes and high-powered individuals the world-over since that intrinsic power and drive essential for such pursuits is what Cordyceps has to offer. But you don’t have to be a mountain climber, marathon runner or CEO to experience the physical power and mental energy for yourself.

In fact, to better understand the traditional use of Cordyceps for physical performance, endurance and recovery, we need look no further than its natural setting.

Wild cordyceps is native to the Tibetan plateau, the mountainous highlands surrounding Tibet and China, and found at elevations above 4500m. Interestingly, it is this high altitude setting that helps to characterise Cordyceps actions as it has been demonstrated in various animal and human studies to support optimal oxygen uptake, lung capacity, fatigue resistance, and stamina (1-5).

Support for life

This is the perfect functional mushroom for not only the young, but also the young-at-heart. In fact, it is an ideal mushroom for older people when energy reserves naturally start to decline.

Cordyceps has been shown to support the energy-production process of ATP (adenosine 5’-triphosphate) generation within cells (6). This is the basic currency that powers all cellular activity in the body. Studies have also demonstrated support for the aerobic function and capacity of the elderly even after only 6 weeks use of Cordyceps at 3g per day (7).

But as with all the functional mushrooms, this is no one-trick pony. Within the traditional Chinese herbal system, Cordyceps is considered a potent, life-fortifying tonic that has a balancing effect on the body. It helps replenish constitutional strength, which makes it great for overall wellbeing and supportive of immune health and convalescence, aging, libido, sleeping patterns and the stress response (8,9). It can be used by the young and old, and can be taken over the long-term.

References:

Singh, M., Tulsawani, R., Koganti, P., Chauhan, A., Manickam, M., & Misra, K. (2013). Cordyceps sinensis increases hypoxia tolerance by inducing heme oxygenase-1 and metallothionein via Nrf2 activation in human lung epithelial cells. BioMed research international, 2013, 569206. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/569206
Nagata, A., Tajima, T., Uchida, M., (2006). Supplemental anti-fatigue effects of Cordyceps Sinensis (Tochu-Kaso) extract powder during three stepwise exercise of human. Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, (55) S145-S152. https://doi.org/10.7600/jspfsm.55.S145
Hirsch, K.R., Mock, M.G., Roelofs, E.J. et al. Chronic supplementation of a mushroom blend on oxygen kinetics, peak power, and time to exhaustion. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 12, P45 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P45
Xu Y. F. (2016). Effect of Polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) on Physical Fatigue Induced by Forced Swimming. International journal of medicinal mushrooms, 18(12), 1083–1092. https://doi.org/10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i12.30
Hirsch, K. R., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Roelofs, E. J., Trexler, E. T., & Mock, M. G. (2017). Cordyceps militaris Improves Tolerance to High-Intensity Exercise After Acute and Chronic Supplementation. Journal of dietary supplements, 14(1), 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2016.1203386
Ko, K. M., & Leung, H. Y. (2007). Enhancement of ATP generation capacity, antioxidant activity and immunomodulatory activities by Chinese Yang and Yin tonifying herbs. Chinese medicine, 2, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-8546-2-3
Yi X, Xi-zhen H, Jia-shi Z. Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial and assessment of fermentation product of Cordyceps sinensis (Cs-4) in enhancing aerobic capacity and respiratory function of the healthy elderly volunteers. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2004;10(3):187-92.
Siu, K. M., Mak, D. H., Chiu, P. Y., Poon, M. K., Du, Y., & Ko, K. M. (2004). Pharmacological basis of ‘Yin-nourishing’ and ‘Yang-invigorating’ actions of Cordyceps, a Chinese tonifying herb. Life sciences, 76(4), 385–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2004.07.014
Panda, A. K., & Swain, K. C. (2011). Traditional uses and medicinal potential of Cordyceps sinensis of Sikkim. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 2(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-9476.78183

Dr Cliff Harvey

Nutritionist, Naturopath, Life & Purpose Coach

Cliff Harvey is a New Zealand-based author, nutritionist, researcher and speaker. He is also a qualified Naturopath, a strength and nutrition coach of 20 years, and an IAWA Weightlifting World Chamption (2004 & 2007). Over the years he has consulted all types of athletes, from champion fighters and cyclists to yacht teams and rugby unions.