Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
Medicinal mushroom with adenosine + cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) bioactives. ATP + VO2max + endurance signal in athletic-performance literature.
Cordyceps militaris (commercial) and Cordyceps sinensis (wild Tibetan, $20K+/kg) are distinct species. Cordycepin acts as adenosine analog at A1 + A2A receptors and has been studied in oncology + immunology + endurance contexts. Athletic-performance RCTs at 1-3 g/day report 7-11% VO2max + endurance time-to-exhaustion improvements over 3-12 weeks. Stamets pairs cordyceps with lion's mane for combined NGF + ATP profile. Stack catalogs commercial militaris-mycelium product, not wild sinensis (supply-chain integrity issue).
Distilled themes from named communities — Reddit threads, forums, creator commentary. Not direct quotes; not clinical evidence. Useful for calibrating expectations against what real self-experimenters report.
Cohort consensus: ~3-week onset for endurance signal; cognitive sharpening less consistent than lion's mane. Pre-workout dosing reported subjectively cleaner than caffeine. Mycelium-on-grain skeptics insist fruiting body is the only legitimate prep.
Quality varies by vendor — "Cordyceps Cs-4" mycelium-on-grain is a different product from fruiting-body extract. Bleeding risk theoretical (anticoagulant activity in some studies — discontinue 2 weeks pre-surgery). Some published trials are sponsored by supplement manufacturers — bias is real, hold confidence at "emerging." Heavy metal contamination reported in cheap-source product; choose third-party-tested vendors.
External links to PubMed searches, ClinicalTrials.gov, and FDA materials. We do not host papers — we point at canonical sources.
- PubMedENRCTIndustry-fundedVerified 3d agoHirsch KR et al. — Cordyceps militaris 3-week supplementation + exercise (J Diet Suppl 2017 RCT)
- PubMedENREVIEWAcademic-fundedVerified 3d agoTuli HS et al. — Cordycepin pharmacology + therapeutic potential review (Life Sci 2014)
- ReferenceENANECDOTALIndustry-fundedVerified 3d agoStamets P — Stamets Stack (lion's mane + cordyceps + niacin + psilocybin)
DSHEA-classified dietary supplement in US. Sold OTC. EU novel-food status varies by member state.