Functional mushrooms seem to be popping up everywhere—in drinks, energy bars and supplements.
No, these aren’t the pre-sliced white mushrooms you buy at the grocery store, but rather specific mushroom species that are known to have medicinal benefits, such as cordyceps, reishi, and chaga and lion’s mane.
My first personal interest in them was sparked by the purported nootropic benefits (i.e. they can help you focus and concentrate) for work. However, as I started to research them more, I realized many studies were actually demonstrating mushrooms could potentially benefit endurance performance.
So, in this article I want to take a look at the 4 most popular types of mushrooms (cordyceps, reishi, and chaga and lion’s mane) and examine what, if any, reported performance and nootropic benefits they may have so we can separate the science from the marketing hype.
Chaga
Chaga, also known as Inonotus obliquus, is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the planet, and helps to stimulate some of the most powerful antioxidants in the body, including polyphenols, melanin, triterpenoids, and polysaccharides superoxide dismutase.
These antioxidants have been shown can help combat the damage from free radicals that are often produced in the body after periods of long, intense exercise.
There’s also some evidence that chaga can directly improve time to fatigue and mental alertness when supplemented during exercise.
This could have a lot of value during long runs and those long interval sessions.
The literature isn’t very clear on what the optimal dosage should be, but study ranges were anywhere from 500 to 1,500 mg.
Reishi
Reishi mushroom powder has been used for centuries to support resiliency and immunity, control blood sugar, and it’s believed that the adaptogenic benefits help the body to cope under times of stress like heavy training.
Most of the research studies on reishi were looking at its impact on cancer and cancer related markers. However, there are a few studies that did indirectly examine markers of post-workout stress.
In these studies, the preliminary data suggests that reishi may help the body to deal with post-workout inflammation and muscle soreness.
Once again, studies un-related to running performance can potentially shed light on some cognitive benefits of reishi mushrooms.
Specifically, this 2012 study on alzheimers disease showed that Reishi mushroom supports the growth of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which boosts learning, memory, and longevity.
Likewise, a 2013 study looked at using reishi mushrooms as a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. While not related to running performance, the mushrooms did reduce symptoms and thus show promise for helping improve post-workout fatigue as well.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps is probably the most well-known mushroom for its sports performance benefits.
It can help to support stamina and endurance and became popular in the 1990’s after a group of Chinese athletes attributed their Olympic success on the track to using a tonic containing cordyceps powder.
While this wasn’t the sole reason for their success (performance enhancing drugs were) this did kick off quite a bit of research on the endurance enhancing benefits of these mushrooms.
Take for instance, an Italian study involving seven amateur cyclists, which found that three months of consuming fungal supplements, including cordyceps, tamed exercise-induced oxidative stress, which the study authors speculate could help athletes better adapt to the rigors of strenuous training.
And one investigation in the Journal of Dietary Supplements showed that individuals who consumed 4 grams a day of a medicinal mushroom blend for a three-week period experienced improvements in fitness metrics such as VO2 max during a cycling test.
It’s believed that these endurance benefits are derived by cordyceps ability to improve cardiovascular function and thus deliver more fresh blood and oxygen to the muscles faster.
Cordyceps also contains adenosine which can support the production of ATP, our bodies energy currency.
In this way, cordyceps works in a similar way to creatine, helping your muscles store more of the molecules your body turns into energy. Research has found that this helps reduce fatigue and improve performance.
Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane, also known as hericium erinaceus, is one of the more studied fungi when it comes to both sports performance and brain function.
In one 2015 study, physical fatigue indicators were significantly lower in mice that consumed lion’s mane mushroom compared to those that did not.
The researchers also demonstrated that lion’s mane increased tissue glycogen, the muscles energy storage, as well as antioxidant activity.
Another interesting finding comes from a pair of studies from 2010 and 2013. The 2013 study demonstrated that lion’s mane mushroom extract improves fat metabolism and the 2010 study showed that lion’s mane mushroom extract resulted in an increase in lipid metabolism, as well as reduced weight gain.
Both of these taken together suggest that lion’s mane could potentially improve fat metabolism in runners.
While we tend to focus on direct performance benefits, lion’s mane has also been shown to improve cognitive function, specifically focus, concentration, and memory.
Specifically, lion’s mane stimulates natural growth factor (NGF) production. NGF is a protein that is vital for the development, function, and survival of neurons in the brain.
Conclusion and Recommendations
So, what can we take from the research we’ve seen so far on mushrooms and running performance?
Well, first we need to see a lot more research, especially larger scale studies on humans and directly looking at endurance performance markers.
That said, the research is very promising and thus far there have been no reported ill-effects of consuming these types of mushrooms.
For me personally, the combination of both running performance and brain boosting capacity have made adding mushrooms a part of my daily supplement routine.
My favorite way to take them is in the morning after my workouts.
I use CollaGenius from BiOptimizers because not only does it contain all of the mushrooms, but it also has collagen, which has been shown to dramatically improve post-workout recovery.
It’s the perfect way to not only boost my recovery, but improve my mental clarity in the morning without taxing my adrenal system with caffeine.
I’ve noticed a huge boost in my morning productivity these last few months and it allows me to save my first cup of coffee for later in the day.
Personally, I am looking forward to more research over the next few years as mushrooms become more mainstream.
