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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
CordyMax™improves 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).
CordyMax™improves steady-state hepatic bio-energy status (J
Alternat Compli Med 7: 231-240, 2001).
CordyMax™improves 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