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CordyMax enhances aerobic capability, endurance performance, and exercise metabolism in healthy, mid-age to elderly sedentary humans

Authors:

Abstract

Previous studies of oral supplementation with CordyMax (CM), a proprietary mycelial fermentation product of the Cordyceps sinensis, have demonstrated significant improvements in aerobic capacity in older humans and in exercise performance and metabolism in elite athletes (JACM 2001;7:231; FASEB 2002;16:A628). This randomized, double-blind clinical study further examined the effect of CM on endurance parameters in healthy, sedentary adults. Subjects (40-70 yrs old) received either CM (n=61) or placebo (P; n=70) for 12 weeks. VO2peak, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), time to complete a 1-mile walk (TMW), and work output (WO) by Jeukendrup bike test were examined at Weeks 0, 6, and 12. VO2peak was increased by 5.5% in CM (p=0.003), but by only 2.2% in P (NS). Exercise time to VO2peak was longer in CM (+5.4%, p=0.047), but no change in P. TMW was reduced by 29 sec in CM (p=0.05), but slightly increased in P (+19 sec, NS). WO was increased by 2.8% in CM (p=0.033), but fell in P (-5.6%, NS). RER was reduced by 2.1% in CM (p=0.018), but no change in P. Diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 3.2% in CM (p=0.045), but no change in P. Consistent with previous findings in healthy, elderly and athlete individuals, these data indicates that oral CM supplementation improves aerobic capability, exercise metabolism, and endurance performance in healthy, mid-age to elderly sedentary humans. Supported by a grant from Pharmanex.
Placebo CordyMax p
Baseline characteristics of subjects
at randomization
Age (yr.) 53.6 ±0.93 53.9 ±0.92 0.840
Body Weight (kg) 78.2 ±1.86 75.9 ±1.65 0.357
Peak VO2 (ml/kg/min) 28.8 ±3.60 28.5 ±3.82 0.810
Heat Rate (bpm) 68.4 ±1.00 67.2 ±1.05 0.427
Introduction
CordyMaximproves glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose
and insulin, improving oral glucose tolerance and facilitates insulin
recovery, insulin sensitivity) (J Alternat Compli Med 8:309-314 &
315-323, 2002).
CordyMaximproves steady-state hepatic bio-energy status (J
Alternat Compli Med 7: 231-240, 2001).
CordyMaximproves aerobic capability (VO2max, anaerobic
threshold, maximal ventilation) in older humans (Chinese J
Gerontology 20: 297-298, 2001); improves cardiovascular and
metabolic capacity during exercise in highly-fit athletes(FASEB J
16:A628, 2002).
Inclusion Criteria:
Healthy, sedentary males & females
Age: 40 - 70 years
Exclusion Criteria:
Active exercise
Orthopedic limitations
History of heart or other diseases
Ischemia during the exercise tests
Recent major surgeries
Tobacco smoker
BW >40% or <20%Metropolitan Life Insur Tables
etc.
CordyMax enhances aerobic capability, endurance performance, and
exercise metabolism in healthy, mid-age to elderly sedentary humans
Jia-Shi Zhu, M.D., Ph.D. and James M. Rippe, M.D.
Pharmanex, Provo, UT and Rippe Lifestyle Institute, Shrewsbury, MA
Abstract
Previous studies of oral supplementation with CordyMax (CM), a proprietary mycelial fermentation product of the Cordyceps
sinensis, have demonstrated significant improvements in aerobic capacity in older humans and in exercise performance and
metabolism in elite athletes (JACM 2001;7:231; FASEB 2002;16:A628). This randomized, double-blind clinical study further
examined the effect of CM on endurance parameters in healthy, sedentary adults. Subjects (40-70 yrs old) received either CM
(n=61) or placebo (P; n=70) for 12 weeks. VO2peak, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), time to complete a 1-mile walk
(TMW), and work output (WO) by Jeukendrup bike test were examined at Weeks 0, 6, and 12. VO2peak was increased by
5.5% in CM (p=0.003), but by only 2.9% in P (NS). Exercise time to VO2peak was longer in CM (+4.1%, p=0.047), but no
change in P. TMW was reduced by 29 sec in CM (p=0.05), but slightly increased in P (+19 sec, NS). WO was increased by
3.1% in CM (p=0.033), but fell in P (-4.9%, NS). RER was reduced by 2.1% in CM (p=0.018), but no change in P. Diastolic
blood pressure was reduced by 5.2% in CM (p=0.045), but no change in P. Consistent with previous findings in healthy, elderly
and athlete individuals, these data indicates that oral CM supplementation improves aerobic capability, exercise metabolism,
and endurance performance in healthy, mid-age to elderly sedentary humans. Supported by a grant from Pharmanex.
(Collected from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of China)
Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc.
CordyMax™
Industrial Fermentation
Isolation
Cs-4 (A Paecilomyces hepiali Chen
mycelial Cs-4 strain)
Placebo group (n=70) (3 g/day)
CordyMax group (n=61) (3 g/day)
0 (weeks) 12
Exercise
Testing
Experimental Design
¨Randomized ¨Double-Blind
¨Placebo Controlled
Exercise
Testing Summary
Oral supplementation with CordyMax for
12 weeks in healthy, sedentary subjects:
Body weight
Diastolic blood pressure
During IWR maximal exercise:
Peak VO2
Time to AT or VO2peak
During CWR endurance exercise:
Exercise work output
Time for 1-mile walk
RER
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that oral
CordyMax supplementation for 12 weeks
improves aerobic capability, exercise
metabolism, and endurance performance
in healthy, mid-age to elderly, sedentary
humans.
VO2 (L/min)
Time (min)
2.5% grade
every 3 minutes
Incremental Work Rate
(IWR) Maximal Exercise
0.50
0.25
0.00
Sub-Maximal Exercise
VO2
Constant Work Rate (CWR)
Sub-Maximal Exercise
Work load achieving 70% VO2peak
-5%
-4%
-3%
-2%
-1%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
CordyMax Placebo
% Change of Time
for 1-Mile Walk
p=0.05
Reduction of Time for 1-mile Walk
Reduction of Respiratory
Exchange Ratio
0.88
0.90
0.92
0.94
0.96
CordyMax Placebo
RER
-2.1%
p=0.018
Week 0
Week 12
-1.1%
p=0.227
Increase in Exercise Work Output
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
CordyMax Placebo
Work Output (KJ/kg)
+3.1%
p=0.033
Week 0
Week 12
-4.9%
p=0.561
500
600
700
800
900
CordyMax Placebo
Time to VO2peak (s)
+4.1%
p=0.047
Week 0
Week 12
+1.9%
p=0.370
Increase in Time to VO2peak
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
CordyMax Placebo
Time to AT (min)
+7.9%
p=0.035
Week 0
Week 12
+0.1%
p=0.741
Increase in Time
to Anaerobic Threshold
15
20
25
30
35
CordyMax Placebo
VO2peak (ml/kg/min)
+5.5%
p=0.003
Week 0
Week 12
-2.9%
p=0.107
Increase in VO2peak
Reduction of Diastolic BP
60
65
70
75
80
85
CordyMax Placebo
Diastolic BP (mmHg)
-5.2%
p=0.045
Week 0
Week 12
-1.9%
p=0.229
-1.5%
-1.0%
-0.5%
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
CordyMax Placebo
% Body Weight Change
p=0.039
Reduction of Body Weight
... 22 papers were excluded for the following reasons: 13 as they were not on healthy human subjects [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] , 5 were not randomized clinical studies [1, [31][32][33][34] , 4 duplicate papers were excluded. 7 randomized clinical studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review [9][10][11][12][13][35][36] . A flow chart of the selection process is depicted in figure 1. Figure 1 depicts the step-by-step selection process for inclusion in the systematic review. ...
... The studies were published between 2001 and 2022 in English. There were four countries represented in the selected studies: Brazil [11] , USA [10,12,35,36] , Taiwan [13] , and China [9] . There was a total of 286 participants with ages ranging from 19 [10] to 78 [35] between all 7 studies with sample sizes ranging from 16 [13] to 131 [35] . ...
... There were four countries represented in the selected studies: Brazil [11] , USA [10,12,35,36] , Taiwan [13] , and China [9] . There was a total of 286 participants with ages ranging from 19 [10] to 78 [35] between all 7 studies with sample sizes ranging from 16 [13] to 131 [35] . 3 studies were conducted using endurance trained athletes [11,12,36] 2 studies utilized an apparently healthy population [10,36] , and 2 studies utilized elderly subjects [9,13] . ...
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The objective of this review is to critically assess the current evidence from randomized clinical trials performed on healthy human subjects for or against the effectiveness and efficacy of O. sinensis. Randomized studies testing the efficacy and effectiveness of O. sinensis against a placebo, conducted with healthy human subjects were included in this systematic review following The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA). Searches of PubMed, Library of Congress, JISC Library, Clinical Trials.gov, mRCT, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Medline, and Cochrane were conducted. Of the 4,308 potentially relevant articles, 29 full-text articles were reviewed, 7 of which were randomized trials conducted with healthy human subjects. All studies were classified as low risk with a total of 286 participants. Of the included studies, 5 noted significant pre/post intergroup differences. 5 results supported the utilization of O. sinensis as a powerful dietary supplement. The effect of supplementation with O. sinensis on aerobic performance could have implications in various athletic events. Insufficient reporting of the details of the O. sinensis preparation utilized is a common issue within included studies. Despite great efforts, there is a possibility not all relevant data was obtained.
... The results demonstrated that the Cordyceps group had a signifi cant increase in energy output and oxygen capacity over the placebo group after 6 weeks. 26 Among the simplest and most reliable tests used to determine a compound's ability to increase the energy output of a subject or decrease fatigue is the mouse swim test. In this test, two groups of mice (or other animals) are used. ...
... There have been trials in humans using Cordyceps spp. to treat many respiratory illnesses, including asthma, COPD, and bronchitis, either alone or as an adjunct to standard antibiotic therapy, and in many studies that have been conducted, it appears to be useful for all of these conditions. 26,[46][47][48][49][50][51][52] Much of its reputation for protecting the lungs is believed to stem from its ability to promote enhanced oxygen utilization effi cacy. In environments lacking suffi cient oxygen, mice treated with Cordyceps were able to survive up to three times longer than those left untreated, demonstrating a more effi cient utilization of the available oxygen. ...
... This provides support for the long history of Cordyceps use in preventing and treating altitude sickness. 26 Such effi cacy alludes to the use of Cordyceps as an effective treatment for bronchitis, asthma, and COPD. Extracts of C. sinensis have been shown to inhibit tracheal contractions, which is especially important in asthma patients because it allows for increased airfl ow to the lungs. ...
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... Purported effects of the fungus suggested a wide range of biological functions such as use as an aphrodisiac [11], analgesic [12], and immune modulator [13] and free radical scavenger [14]. Human clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of Cordyceps sinensis fermented mycelia in combating decreased libido and virility [15, 16]. In a clinical study of elderly patients with chronic fatigue, results indicated that most of the subjects treated with Cordyceps sinensis pure mycelium reported a significant clinical improvement in the areas of fatigue, cold intolerance, dizziness, frequent nocturia, tinnitus, hyposexuality, and amnesia, while no improvement was reported in the placebo group171819. ...
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Cordiceps sinensis is age old herb in traditional Chinese herbology. It has been widely researched. It is true Rasayan (Rejuvenator / Antiaging) herb as it is immunomodulator, adaptogen, antioxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, nootropic, aphrodisiac and hepatoprotective. Additionally it protects kidney, GIT , provides stamina and relieves fatigue. This review is an abridged version as the volume of research is really too much to be contained in small article. But this article does provide the panoramic view of the work undertaken.
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Cordyceps sinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine used for promotion of health, longevity and athletic power. However, the molecular mechanism for anti-fatigue activity and physical fitness has not yet been reported. The present study was conducted to evaluate the exercise endurance promoting activities of fungal traditional Chinese medicine (FTCM) Cordyceps sinensis cultured whole mycelium (CS) and the underlying mechanisms. CS was orally supplemented (200mg/kg body weight/day) to rats for 15days with or without swimming exercise along with exercise and placebo groups. Both CS supplementation and supplementation concurrent with exercise improved exercise endurance by 1.79- (P<0.05) and 2.9-fold (P<0.01) respectively as compared to placebo rats. CS supplementation concurrent with exercise also increased the swimming endurance by 1.32-fold (P<0.05) over the exercise group. To study the molecular mechanism of the observed effect, we measured the expression levels of endurance responsive skeletal muscle metabolic regulators AMPK, PGC-1α and PPAR-δ as well as endurance promoting and antioxidant genes like MCT1, MCT4, GLUT4, VEGF, NRF-2, SOD1 and TRX in red gastrocnemius muscle. Our results indicate that CS supplementation significantly upregulates the skeletal muscle metabolic regulators, angiogenesis, better glucose and lactate uptake both in exercised and non-exercised rats. We have also observed increased expression of oxidative stress responsive transcription factor NRF-2 and its downstream targets SOD1 and TRX by CS supplementation. CS supplementation with or without exercise improves exercise endurance capacity by activating the skeletal muscle metabolic regulators and a coordinated antioxidant response. Consequently, CS can be used as a potent natural exercise mimetic.
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