Ergogenic Aid by Cordyceps: Does It Work??

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Supplements for exercise have gained significant attention among athletes and sports practitioners. Herbs with high bioactive content are commonly used to enhance exercise performance. Among these, Cordyceps spp., a traditional herb from China, is recognized for its pharmacological properties, including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic effects observed in vitro. As an immunomodulatory agent, Cordyceps has been shown to successfully stimulate cytokine synthesis in human peripheral blood. Given that inflammation is a natural part of the aerobic exercise response, We aim in this review to summarize the effects of Cordyceps on aerobic performance and fitness in human studies.

RECENT FINDINGS

Most studies involved active, young participants. Long-term supplementation with Cordyceps, ranging from 2 to 16 weeks, has demonstrated improvements in aerobic performance in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by an increase in time to exhaustion. However, the effects on aerobic fitness remain inconsistent. Furthermore, the ergogenic potential of Cordyceps in aging and sedentary populations requires further investigation due to the limited number of studies available. It also appears that Cordyceps supplementation may have a greater impact on aerobic performance and fitness when combined with other herbs and exercise training. Cordyceps supplementation shows potential as an ergogenic aid for exercise. Further research is needed to explore its effects at the cellular level in human studies.

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.