⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️
- Dudgeon et al. (2021) saw that cordyceps helped people make more ATP and exercise better.
- Jeng et al. (2009) said rats given cordyceps could run longer before getting tired, showing they had more endurance.
- Cordycepin helps with how muscles fix themselves and make protein.
- Cordyceps has antioxidants that can help lessen stress and tiredness in muscles after workouts.
- Cordyceps makes mitochondria work better, which could mean muscles use energy better when you work out.
What Are Cordyceps Mushrooms?
Cordyceps is a group of over 400 kinds of fungi, but only a few are known to be good for your health. The two main kinds you'll see in supplements are Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris.
- Cordyceps sinensis first came from caterpillars in Tibet. It was very wanted but hard to find and cost a lot.
- Cordyceps militaris, on the other hand, is now grown to sell using plants. This is a controlled, good way to get it for supplements, and it has lots of nutrients.
Both kinds have things in them that might be good for health, including making you perform better. The main ones are
- Cordycepin (3’-deoxyadenosine): This is like adenosine and can lower swelling, fight cell damage, and make you perform better.
- Adenosine: This is needed to make ATP, which muscles must have to contract.
- Polysaccharides: These are strong antioxidants and help your immune system.
These things are why cordyceps might help with energy, immunity, and muscle health.
Key Compound: Cordycepin & Muscle Health
Cordycepin is like a building block of DNA that is similar to adenosine but works in its own way. It can lower swelling, fight tiredness, and help your body fix itself. This makes it good for muscle recovery and growth.
Cordycepin might
- Change mTOR signals, which are needed for muscles to make protein.
- Help cells fix themselves, which makes muscles recover faster from small tears after exercise.
- Change swelling signals, which cuts down damage from hard workouts.
- Help muscles use oxygen better, making them work more efficiently.
It's not like protein or creatine that builds muscle directly, but it can make your body ready to keep muscles and recover faster after exercise.
Cordyceps and ATP Production
One special thing about cordyceps is how it helps make and use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) better. ATP is the energy needed for cells to work, especially for muscles to contract.
ATP is needed for
- Making muscles contract again and again
- Keeping muscles from getting tired too fast
- Keeping performance up during quick, intense bursts of activity
Cordyceps might help make more ATP naturally because it has adenosine and cordycepin. In a 2021 study by Dudgeon et al., people who took either a little or a lot of Cordyceps militaris made more ATP and did better in sports.
More ATP means
- More energy during workouts
- Muscles can keep going longer
- Muscles get strong again faster between sets
For people who lift weights or run long distances, ATP is key to getting better at their goals.
Cordyceps for Energy and Endurance
Cordyceps is really good at making aerobic capacity and energy last longer. Weightlifters need quick energy, but all athletes, even them, need aerobic endurance to work out longer and recover between exercises.
If you can keep going longer in cardio, you can
- Do more reps and sets in a workout
- Recover faster between workouts
- Be tougher overall
Tests on animals, like the 2009 study by Jeng et al., found cordyceps greatly improved things like time-to-exhaustion, lactate threshold, and VO₂ max. These all mean your body is better at using oxygen and has more stamina.
Whether you're training for a marathon or just want to get through HIIT workouts, cordyceps might help your lungs and heart work better naturally.
Effect on Oxidative Stress and Recovery
Hard workouts cause stress in your body called oxidative stress because they make reactive oxygen species (ROS). If this stress lasts too long, it can make you tired, sore, break down muscle, and even get sick.
Cordyceps has polysaccharides that are strong antioxidants, and also things that lower swelling. These help fight this cell stress. Less ROS is important to help muscles recover faster and hurt less the next day.
In Yuan et al. (2022), cordyceps supplements were shown to
- Increase antioxidants in the body like SOD and GSH
- Lower MDA, which shows cell damage
- Make recovery faster, so you can work out more often
Less stress on cells also protects mitochondria, keeps muscles strong, and lets you work out harder and more often each week.
Cordyceps and Mitochondrial Function
Mitochondria are called the "powerhouse of the cell." They turn food into ATP energy. So, making mitochondria work better is important for athletes who need lots of energy.
Cordyceps helps cells adapt by making more mitochondria, helping them use oxygen better, and making more energy when you push yourself.
The study by Ji et al. (2009) found that cordyceps made mitochondria more efficient and helped ATP work better, especially in body parts that need lots of energy like muscles and the brain.
Better mitochondria mean
- Energy is used more efficiently
- You can last longer
- Muscles get tired slower
Helping mitochondria regularly makes a strong base for growth, power, and how much you can work out as an athlete.
Cordyceps and Adaptogenesis
One thing about cordyceps that people don't always think about is that it's an adaptogen. Adaptogens are plants that help your body handle stress. Athletes have stress from workouts, worry, not sleeping well, and things like caffeine.
Cordyceps helps balance hormones and the immune system when you're stressed by
- Keeping cortisol levels steady
- Lessening muscle loss from too much training
- Making your immune system stronger, which can get weak when you're tired
In a study by Jung et al. (2015), people who took cordyceps extract improved their immune systems and handled stress hormones better. Being able to handle stress is key when you work out hard and often, because it
- Lowers the chance of injury and burnout
- Makes recovery faster
- Helps you keep getting better
Taking cordyceps as a supplement might help you stay in the best range of workout stress—not too little, not too much.
Indirect Support for Muscle Growth
Cordyceps is not something that builds muscle directly, like creatine or BCAAs. But it helps your body perform better, get less tired, and recover faster, which in turn helps muscle growth over time.
Working out harder and recovering faster are important for getting stronger and building muscle. Cordyceps helps with this by
- Letting you work out more
- Cutting down time off because of soreness or sickness
- Helping you focus better and feel like workouts are easier
Das et al. (2021) talked about how cordyceps helps with energy, hormones, and swelling. This shows it helps make workout conditions better for muscle growth.
Protein Synthesis and Cordyceps
Mushrooms don't replace protein in your diet, but cordyceps might help protein work better to build muscle. It can subtly help muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
Cordycepin might help muscles make protein by
- Changing AMPK and mTOR pathways, which are important for muscle growth
- Helping cells signal each other better for growth and repair
- Helping make nitric oxide, which makes blood flow better and brings nutrients to muscles
According to Yuan et al. (2022), these things can help muscles react better after exercise, especially if you eat well and lift weights.
Choosing the Right Cordyceps Supplement
When picking a cordyceps supplement for muscle growth or endurance, think about these things
- Only Fruiting Body Extracts: Don't buy products that use mycelium on grain (MOG) because they don't have as much of the good stuff.
- Cordyceps militaris is better: It has more cordycepin and is grown in a sustainable way.
- Organic & 3rd-party Tested: Make sure it's pure, strong, and doesn't have bad metals or fillers.
- Standardized for Active Compounds: Look for amounts of cordycepin or polysaccharides listed.
Thinking about growing your own? DIY kits, like from Zombie Mushrooms, make it easy to grow strong cordyceps mushrooms at home.
How to Use Cordyceps for Performance
To get the best results, use it like this
- Daily Dose: 1–3 grams (or 1000–3000 mg), depending on how hard you're working out and how much you weigh.
- Capsules vs. Powders vs. Tinctures: Powders are good in shakes; tinctures get into your body fast.
-
When to take it:
- Before workouts for energy and stamina
- After workouts for recovery
- Every day for immune and stress help
Use cordyceps for 8–12 weeks, then see how it's working and change if you need to.
Safety & Side Effects
Cordyceps supplements are usually safe, but be careful if you are
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have autoimmune problems
- Take medicine for diabetes or blood pressure
Start with a small amount and ask your doctor for advice. Watch out for stomach problems or allergic reactions, which don't happen often but can.
Final Thoughts
Cordyceps may not build muscle directly, but it's helpful for the body systems that let you perform your best and recover faster. If you're an athlete, bodybuilder, or just work out sometimes, cordyceps might be what you need to get better.
It helps with ATP, endurance, fighting cell damage, and handling stress. This makes it good to add to your workout and diet plan. More steady energy, less time off, and better workouts mean muscle growth over time.
