Current Evidence of Ergogenic and Post-Exercise Recovery Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Cordyceps militaris in Humans-A Narrative Review.

Five intervention studies published between 2017 and 2024 met eligibility criteria for this narrative review of C. militaris supplementation effects in humans.

• The five studies comprised 321 participants aged 16-35 years.
• Supplementation protocols ranged from 1 to 16 weeks in duration.
• Daily doses ranged from 1 to 12 g of C. militaris material.
• Supplements were administered either as isolated fungal material or as part of multi-ingredient formulations.
• A structured database search was conducted using predefined eligibility criteria with domain-based risk-of-bias assessment.

Assessed ergogenic outcomes included indices of aerobic performance and exercise capacity across the included studies.

• Outcomes included maximal or peak oxygen uptake (VO2max/VO2peak), time to exhaustion, and power output.
• Running performance and maintenance of peripheral oxygen saturation during high-intensity exercise were also assessed.
• Biochemical markers related to muscle damage and inflammatory responses were evaluated in several studies.
• Specific biochemical markers included creatine kinase, blood urea nitrogen, and white blood cell counts.

Some studies reported improvements in selected performance and recovery parameters following C. militaris supplementation, but findings were inconsistent across studies.

• Improvements were reported in selected performance and recovery parameters in some but not all studies.
• Inconsistency of findings was noted across the five included intervention studies.
• The review characterized the certainty of the evidence as limited.
• No single consistent pattern of ergogenic benefit was established across studies.

The certainty of evidence for C. militaris ergogenic effects is limited by multiple methodological shortcomings identified across included studies.

• Limitations included small sample sizes and heterogeneity of participants and exercise protocols.
• Insufficient reporting of randomization procedures was noted.
• Most studies lacked trial registration.
• Absence of standardized preparations with quantified bioactive constituents was identified as a key limitation.
• The use of multi-ingredient supplements in some studies precluded attribution of effects to C. militaris specifically.

Well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to clarify the efficacy and practical relevance of C. militaris in sports nutrition.

• The authors call for trials using chemically characterized preparations.
• Homogeneous athletic populations are recommended for future research.
• C. militaris is an entomopathogenic fungus traditionally used in Asian ethnomedicine with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.
• The fungus has gained increasing attention as a dietary supplement with possible applications in sports nutrition.