Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis Supplementation
Compared with ordinary people, athletes should be more anti fatigue and anti-oxidation, thinking that it is not only about health, but also affects sports performance. The report published by the University of Pavia in 2014 is worthy of reference. Through the analysis of the ratio between (testosterone) and (adrenocortisol) after pinching and the evaluation of the ability of scavenging free radicals in vivo, this study believes that the supplement of Ganoderma lucidum Extract and Cordyceps sinensis extract by months can improve the endurance of athletes and reduce oxidative damage.
The study recruited seven amateur male cyclists, aged 30 to 40, who had more than 10 years of riding experience and had the habit of exercising every week. In the first month of the experiment, placebo was added every day, and in the second to fourth months, Ganoderma lucidum fruit body extract (1170mg / day, in which polysaccharide and triterpene content were 95.5 and 4.5mg respectively) and Cordyceps sinensis mycelium extract (1335mg / day, in which polysaccharide content was 34.7mg) were added instead
At the end of the first month (placebo phase) and the fourth month (Ganoderma lucidum + Cordyceps sinensis phase), each of these competitors participated in one event: the first event was Gran fondo Aprica, 1651 meters above sea level, 110 kilometers away, about 3 hours and 40 minutes riding time, with an average speed of 36 kilometers per hour. The second race is for Gran fondo apric, 1850 meters above sea level, 85 kilometers away. The riding time is about 4 hours and the average speed is 33 kilometers per hour. The second one is because of the gradient change, because it’s harder to ride than the first one.
In order to evaluate their fatigue and physical condition, before and at the end of the competition, the researchers will take saliva and blood samples from competitors. The former is mainly to detect the ratio of testosterone to adrenocortisol (T / C ratio for short), and the latter is to detect the content of DPPH free radicals in the blood and further analyze the ability of scavenging free radicals in the body.
Testosterone, commonly known as male hormone, is mainly secreted by testes, while women are secreted by ovaries. It can promote protein synthesis, strengthen muscles and bones, lower blood sugar and blood pressure, enhance immunity, boost spirit, focus, reduce fatigue, and then help performance. Cortisol, known as stress hormone, is secreted by adrenals, which can promote protein decomposition and blood pressure , blood sugar rises, and suppresses immunity. In a short period of time, it can improve the explosive power of exercise, but in a long period of time, it is easy to cause fatigue.
Under the stimulation of sports, it will change the secretion of these two hormones and increase the production of free radicals. If the T / C ratio before and after the competition is almost or higher, the ability to know free radicals in the body is better, which means that the players have good fatigue resistance. If the T / C ratio is decreased, the ability to know free radicals in the body is better, there will be excessive fatigue, which will not only affect sports Performance also affects health.
The results showed that all the subjects, no matter they were in good physical condition (two of them) or had signs of excessive fatigue (five of them) during the period of taking placebo, their T / C ratio (Figure 1) during the period of supplement of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis, and their ability to know DPPH free radical (Figure 2) were significantly improved.
Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis Supplementation
It is worth mentioning that the T / C ratio of the two players before and after the placebo stage is stable, which shows that they are in good physical condition and have no signs of excessive fatigue. After three months of supplementation of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis, the T / C ratio is significantly higher than that of the placebo stage (as shown in Figure 1, left), which is the main reason for the great change here However, the cortisol level was almost the same as that of placebo.
Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis Supplementation figure 2
However, there were signs of excessive fatigue in the placebo stage (T / C ratio was lower than that before the competition). After three months of supplementation of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis, cortisol decreased, and testosterone increased, thus improving the T / C ratio after the competition (as shown in Figure 2, right), and improving the anti fatigue ability of players. The body’s ability to deal with fatigue and oxidative stress will affect the performance and health of athletes.
It can be seen from the above research that the supplement of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis can not only resist fatigue, but also resist oxidation. In this report, the researchers pointed out that the beta glucan polysaccharide and triterpenoids in Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis should play an important role in it. It is worth further understanding whether the mechanism of these components is also related to the regulation of inflammatory response. More information for Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis Supplementation,please check here
Reference: Rossi P, et al. Improving Training Condition Assessment in Endurance Cyclists: Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Ophiocordyceps sinensis Dietary Supplementation. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:979613
