{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"cordyceps","kind":"supplement","name":"cordyceps","aliases":["Cordyceps sinensis","Cordyceps militaris","CS-4"],"brands_sg":["California Gold Nutrition","MRM Nutrition","NOW Foods","Real Mushrooms","Doctor's Best"],"class":"mushroom","tags":["energy","fitness","immune"],"use_for":"aerobic thresholds in small trials — results conflict","use_after":"daily","use_duration":"the trials quoted here ran 5 to 12 weeks","take_with":null,"pros":["cs-4 lifted metabolic threshold 10.5% in a pilot","2025 meta: endurance, vt and vo2peak up in athletes","nk cell activity rose 38.8% in an 8-week rct"],"cons":["a 2004 trial in trained cyclists found no effect","no vo2 max change even in the positive pilot","wild c. sinensis is reported to carry high arsenic"],"dose_note":"the trials quoted here used cs-4 at 333 mg three times a day for 12 weeks in healthy 50–75 year olds, 3 g a day for 5 weeks in trained cyclists (no effect), and 1.68 g a day of a mycelium extract for 8 weeks for the immune outcome; no dose is established, and products differ by species, strain and extract","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["wild cordyceps sinensis carries arsenic — one risk assessment suggests roughly 2 months of use a year","trials are small and run in narrow groups — older adults, trained cyclists, athletes","the positive endurance meta-analysis sits at p = 0.05 for its main outcome","not listed in hsa's annex a/b — hsa says that list is not exhaustive"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"cs4_2010_design","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC3110835","label":"Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (J Altern Complement Med 2010) — design","quote":"Twenty (20) healthy elderly (age 50-75 years) subjects were enrolled in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial. The subjects were taking either Cs-4 333 mg or placebo capsules 3 times a day for 12 weeks.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"cs4_2010_result","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC3110835","label":"Cs-4 exercise trial, J Altern Complement Med 2010 — results","quote":"the metabolic threshold (above which lactate accumulates) increased by 10.5% … the ventilatory threshold … increased by 8.5% … there were no changes in Vo(2) max in either group. This pilot study suggests …","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"null2004","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/MED/15118196","label":"Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2004)","quote":"Twenty-two male cyclists participated in 5 weeks of supplementation with CordyMax Cs-4 tablets (3 g/d) … 5 weeks of CordyMax Cs-4 supplementation has no effect on aerobic capacity or endurance exercise performance","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fungal2025_scope","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12631420","label":"Effects of fungal supplementation on endurance, immune function, and hematological profiles in adult athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Front Nutr 2025) — scope","quote":"Fourteen randomized controlled trials involving 528 athletes were included, of which eight studies (n = 288) met the criteria for quantitative synthesis.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fungal2025_cs","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12631420","label":"Fungal supplementation in athletes meta-analysis, Front Nutr 2025 — Cordyceps sinensis result","quote":"Cordyceps sinensis supplementation significantly improved endurance performance (p = 0.05), ventilatory threshold (p = 0.03), and VO2peak (p = 0.04), indicating enhanced aerobic capacity with low heterogeneity.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nk2019_design","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC6441223","label":"Immunomodulatory effects of a mycelium extract of Cordyceps (Paecilomyces hepiali; CBG-CS-2): a randomized and double-blind clinical trial (BMC Complement Altern Med 2019) — design","quote":"Healthy adults were divided into the intervention group (n = 39), who were given 1.68 g/day of CBG-CS-2 in capsules, and the control group (n = 40) for 8 weeks.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nk2019_result","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC6441223","label":"Cordyceps mycelium extract RCT, BMC Complement Altern Med 2019 — result","quote":"The CBG-CS-2 group showed a significant 38.8 ± 17.6% enhancement from the baseline of NK cell cytotoxic activity relative to the placebo group after the administration of the capsules for 8 wks. (P < 0.019)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"arsenic2018","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC5902960","label":"HPLC-ICP-MS speciation analysis and risk assessment of arsenic in Cordyceps sinensis (Chin Med 2018)","quote":"Cordyceps sinensis, one of the most valued traditional herbal medicines in China, contains high amount of arsenic … The suggested C. sinensis consumption rate of 2.0 months/year provided important insights into … minimize potential health risks.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_pr_notlisted","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025), Annex A/B — searched, no row for this ingredient","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/cordyceps","label":"iHerb Singapore — Mushrooms > Cordyceps category (default order, 58 results); first 5 distinct brands: California Gold Nutrition, MRM Nutrition, NOW Foods, Real Mushrooms, Doctor's Best","quote":"California Gold Nutrition, Fungiology, MushRex Plus … MRM Nutrition, Cordyceps CS-4 Strain, 60 Vegan Capsules … NOW Foods, Cordyceps, 90 Veg Capsules … Real Mushrooms, Cordycep-M® … Doctor's Best, Ultra Cordyceps, 750 mg","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":[{"brand":"Real Mushrooms","example":"Cordyceps-M® (US)","programme":"NSF Certified for Sport","matching_products":1,"brand_total_certified":1}],"updated_at":"2026-08-30T17:59:39.960259+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}