Cordyceps is an increasingly popular adaptogen with several crucial benefits for an endurance athlete.
Cordyceps is without a doubt the best adaptogen to boost your VO2 max, and it has a long history of use in improving oxygen flow. Today, many endurance athletes use it to great effect, and you can find it in advanced VO2 max booster formulas, such as Absolute by 4Endurance Pro.
In this blog, you will learn all about cordyceps and how to use it to boost your VO2 max levels.
Cordyceps and VO2 max
VO2 max is the golden standard to measure the physical fitness of cyclists and runners. The maximum oxygen intake is the best indicator of your athletic capability.
If you follow a structured training plan, you can improve your VO2 max up to 25%. But if you are already well trained, you must work really hard for every additional percentage. Cordyceps might help you go beyond your natural limits.
Cordyceps improves oxygen utilization and helps your body to remove lactic acid from the muscles, which leads to an improvement of VO2 max.
Cordyceps is the best single adaptogen to boost VO2 max.
Several studies were performed to measure the actual effectiveness of cordyceps in boosting VO2 max levels.
A study from 2004 was focused on active adults. A VO2 max test was performed before and after the study. Opposed to the placebo group, the cordyceps group noted a 7% increase in VO2 max. Another study from 2016, which focused on younger athletes, resulted in a 11% increase in VO2 max.
If your goal is to boost your VO2 max, cordyceps is the best adaptogen to do it!
Other benefits of cordyceps
Boosting VO2 max is great, but the benefits of cordyceps don't end there.
While there are several claims regarding its benefits, and not all of them are confirmed, we present the ones we are sure of:
- Increases the uptake of oxygen into the bloodstream
- Improves endurance and physical ability
- Heals chronic fatigue
- Strengthens the sexual function in men and women
- Supports treatment of asthma and allergies
- Helps reduce blood sugar levels and fats
- Immunostimulant properties
Cordyceps doesn't only boost VO2 max. It has several other benefits.
What is cordyceps?
Cordyceps is one of the most interesting adaptogens, as it differs greatly from other adaptogens, such as ashwagandha. Namely, its effect is almost instantaneous, taking only 24 to 48 hours to start having effect.
There is also an open question on how to classify this powerful adaptogen. Is it a mushroom? A parasite? A plant? An insect? An evil ant-abusing, zombie-spawning villain from outer space? Definitely the latter, if you ask our pop culture!
Adaptogen Fuse
Complete adaptogen mix
Absolute
VO2 max booster
Fusion
Fat burn, VO2 max
Rhodiola Complex
3% rosavins, 4% salidrosides
Anyway, cordyceps grows everywhere in the world. More than 750 types of cordyceps have been discovered, and the rarest types of cordyceps grow at high altitudes in the Himalaya region. Out of these 750 types, 35 have been identified to have benefits for human consumption.
Unlike other adaptogens, the effect of cordyceps is felt within 1 or 2 days.
Cordyceps and dietary supplements
The cordyceps used in dietary supplements is almost always grown in a lab. Since its grown on rice, it is also vegan friendly!
Laboratory-grown cordyceps is under constant supervision. This allows us to be 100% sure about the rate of active ingredients, especially cordyceps acid and cordycepin, which has several benefits, such as immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial.
Since cordyceps is quickly broken down in your body, you must take it regularly to achieve best results. If you want to learn more about the proper use of adaptogens, check out our guide!
The best cordyceps supplement to boost VO2 max
If there is one supplement that really brings out cordyceps' power, it's Absolute 4Endurance Pro.
Absolute is an advanced adaptogen formula with beta-alanine, designed specifically to boost VO2 max.
Absolute is a powerful adaptogen formula with cordyceps, ashwagandha, rhodiola, actigin, and the amino acid beta-alanine, designed to:
- Increase VO2 max
- Increase ATP energy efficiency
- Reduce exercise-induced stress
- Reduce muscle acidity
- Improve muscle recovery
If you are serious about boosting your VO2 max, give Absolute a try!
Conclusion
Cordyceps has very interesting potential in terms of sports nutrition and dietary supplements.
The first serious studies on its efficiency were performed in the 50s of the 20th century, but every ten years or so a new group of researchers delve into the subject, recognizing cordyceps' still unexplored potential.
We are looking at crucial benefits, such as improved muscle recovery, increased lung capacity, better endurance, and easier breathing. These benefits were confirmed by many studies.
It is only a matter of time before official institutions recognize cordyceps' potentials and classify it where it belongs — among useful dietary supplements.