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Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

03.09.2015

Fit athletes derive more benefit from testosterone boosters Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum

Extracts from the mushrooms Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum boost athletes' testosterone levels. And they lower cortisol levels too. The fitter athletes are, the stronger the positive effect of the extracts, researchers at the University of Pavia in Italy discovered when they gave Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum to seven cyclists.

Study
The researchers gave seven amateur cyclists, aged 30-40, a placebo for a couple of weeks and capsules containing extracts of Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum for three months. During both periods the cyclists took part in an 85-km cycling race.

The cyclists took three capsules a day, each containing 445 mg Cordyceps sinensis. The capsules consisted of one third polysaccharides and half a percent of adenosine. In addition, the capsules contained the adenosine analogue cordycepin. Adenosine and cordycepin probably both play a role in the ergogenic effect of Cordyceps sinensis. Three days before each of the races, the cyclists increased their intake to six capsules a day.

Previous studies had shown that Cordyceps sinensis supplementation, using 3 g extract, had no effect on oxygen uptake or the cyclists' endurance capacity [Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Apr;14(2):236-42.], but it did increase the endurance capacity of over 50 year olds.

The cyclists also took 2 capsules a day which contained 390 mg Ganoderma lucidum extract. This extract consisted of one third polysaccharides and 1.5 percent triterpenes.

Results
When the researchers analysed saliva taken from the cyclists just before and just after the race done under placebo conditions, they observed that the testosterone concentration of two of the cyclists did not change during the race. The race did lower the cortisol concentration in the cyclists, however. So those cyclists were in good condition.

Supplementation with Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum boosted the level of testosterone concentration in the saliva of the well-trained cyclists, as the figure below shows.

In the five remaining cyclists, the race done under placebo conditions lowered their testosterone concentration a little and led to a rise in cortisol, which would suggest these cyclists were close to over-training. The figure above shows that supplementation with Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum boosted the cyclists' testosterone concentration before and after the race, and inhibited the post-race rise in cortisol.

The mushroom extract supplementation improved the testosterone-cortisol ratio in both the well-trained cyclists [first figure below] and in the less well-trained cyclists [second figure below].

Conclusion
"We can therefore conclude that a 3-month period of Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum dietary supplementation may protect endurance athletes from nonfunctional overreaching/overtraining", the Italians wrote. They advocate that follow-up research be done with a larger group of athletes.

"An interesting future development of this research would be to analyze inflammatory parameters in order to understand the role fungal supplementation plays on the immune system. The study should continue to select standardized fungal dietary supplements, but it should be expanded to include a larger number of endurance athletes, due to the variability in their athletic condition."

Source:
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:979613.

More:
Cordyceps sinensis is not much use to young bodybuilders 17.11.2011
Got it! Active ingredient in cordyceps is cordycepin 24.07.2011
Cordyceps sinensis works like hCG 04.02.2011

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