Nowadays natural supplements are an acceptable option for athletic performance. They not only boost the physical capabilities, but also give nutrients to the body – antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals… One of the superfoods that is now trendy is Cordyceps.
Cordyceps is a mushroom also named “caterpillar fungus”; it grows on larvae of insects – sometimes caterpillars.
Cordyceps has been used in combination with herbs to threat sicknesses by Chinese medical specialists since ancient times.
Nowadays people in Europe have become more aware of the health advantages of using food as a medicine. It’s not surprising that taking cordyceps as a natural supplement is becoming more and more ongoing.
The main health problems that cordyceps solves are: lack of energy, general body weakness, infections, lack of sexual arousal, kidney sicknesses, low levels of the capabilities of the immune system, hearth sicknesses, breathing difficulties, aging, diabetes.
There are hundreds of species of the mushroom cordyceps but the focus is on two of them – Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris. Cordyceps sinensis grows not only in the higher parts of the Tibetan mountains but also elsewhere globally. These natural mushrooms are very rare; they are hard to harvest; they need specific environment and are increasingly in demand. This is the reason their price to grow constantly.
Cordyceps militaris is a competitor to cordyceps sinensis, but it can be easily cultivated on mixed rice, it can be reachable and it can be bought on a fair price.
Advantages of Cordyceps for Athletes
Cordyceps continued its practical use from Chinese medicine to professional sports. In the begging of the 1990s it was common in the Chinese sports teams. The Chinese women’s running team won many competitions and broke three world records with the help of this natural superfood and supplement.
Cordyceps has also been used by older people and increases their exercise performance because of one of the strains of Cordyceps sinensis – Cs-4.
A three-week period of taking cordyceps militaris leads to increased tolerance to high-intensity training and it has a probability for better benefits with longer-term usage.
Caterpillar fungus boosts VO2 MAX. VO2 MAX is considered as the maximum limit of oxygen that is possible to be consumed while heavy training. Cordyceps supplement is also used to define the fitness level of the athlete and it can improve sport performance. Highly-trained sports professionals may need to take additional dosages to achieve higher results.
The mushroom superfood has been used for weakness resistance in Chinese medicine for a long time. Nowadays the experimental studies show promising results for this natural supplement in effectiveness to fight fatigue.
Cordyceps stimulates adenosine triphosphate – ATP in combination with raised maximum levels of oxygen – VO2 and weakness. ATP is the main energy source in all living organisms. The existence of adenosine is connected to heart support.
Cordyceps as an aid to the cardiovascular system
The cordycepin inside the mushroom is a help to blood circulation. The combination of oxygen and nutrients the tissues receive help them to say alive.
How much cordyceps is enough?
1 gram per day of the mushroom supplement is a good start for most sport professionals. It could be consumed either once as a single dose or numerous doses with food. The dose could be increased to 2-3 grams depending on body mass, age and exercise intensity. There is no exact instruction about the right dosage because it depends on the individual health of the athlete and the intenseness of the sport activities.
Side effects of cordyceps for sport professionals
It is generally considered safe to use the mushroom for healthy people. But if you are pregnant, nursing or you have a sickness it is important to talk to a medical specialist and buy natural supplements from trusted companies that list the ingredients properly for every product and have been tested by a third-party.
Cordyceps could be used for pre-workout
VO2 max, ATP creation and weakness resistance are not the only positive effects of cordyceps usage. The mushroom has also anti-inflammatory benefits. It is also and antioxidant that fights free radicals. Both features are very useful before training. The energy it provides lasts even longer than the training session.
The main advantage of Cordyceps
Cordyceps needs to be researched more to improve the knowledge of the positive effects it has on humans. But this mushroom is used for centuries as a food, as a medicine and as a natural supplement and its benefits continue their popularity as a health boost provider.
The studies to animals show that cordyceps balances the blood sugar levels, but most importantly, it works against cancer in various forms of sickness as an anti-tumor agent. If you are an athlete who wants to achieve higher results cordyceps may be the right natural supplement for you.