Evidence Level
Emerging
Cordyceps research is growing but still in early stages. The most significant modern study is Hirsch et al. (2017), which demonstrated improved VO2 max and exercise performance with Cordyceps militaris supplementation in healthy young adults. An earlier study by Chen et al. (2010) using CS-4 showed improved exercise performance in older adults. However, a 2016 systematic review (Jia et al.) noted that while preclinical data are compelling, human clinical trials are limited in number and quality. An important distinction: Cordyceps militaris (fruiting body) reliably contains cordycepin, while many CS-4 mycelium products grown on grain substrates may contain minimal active compounds.