Cordyceps 101: The Mushroom That Helps You Crush Workouts

If you have been in the wellness space for more than five minutes, you have probably seen Cordyceps on a supplement label somewhere. It is the second most talked about functional mushroom after Lion's Mane, and for good reason.

Unlike Lion's Mane, which gets most of its attention for brain benefits, Cordyceps is the mushroom for your body. Specifically for energy, endurance, and athletic performance.

Here is what the science actually says.

What Is Cordyceps?

Cordyceps is a genus of parasitic fungi with a bizarre backstory. In the wild, it grows out of the bodies of certain caterpillars in the high-altitude regions of Tibet, Nepal, and China. Traditional Chinese medicine has used it for centuries as a tonic for energy and vitality.

The Cordyceps in your supplements and drinks is not grown on caterpillars. Almost all commercial Cordyceps today is Cordyceps militaris, a species cultivated in controlled environments without any insects involved.

What makes Cordyceps interesting is a compound called cordycepin, along with polysaccharides and other bioactive molecules that appear to influence how your cells produce energy.

What the Research Says About Cordyceps

Unlike some wellness ingredients where the research is thin, Cordyceps has a growing body of real human studies supporting its effects on exercise performance.

Endurance and Exercise Tolerance

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2025 analyzed 14 randomized controlled trials involving 528 athletes. The analysis found that Cordyceps supplementation significantly improved endurance performance, ventilatory threshold, and VO2peak. These are all key markers of aerobic capacity.

Meta-analyses are considered some of the strongest forms of evidence because they pool results from multiple studies. The signal for Cordyceps and endurance is consistent across the literature.

High-Intensity Exercise

A 2017 study from the Journal of Dietary Supplements followed 28 recreationally active adults over three weeks of Cordyceps supplementation. Results showed significant improvements in time-to-exhaustion during high-intensity cycling. Participants also showed improvements in maximal oxygen uptake after just three weeks.

In simple terms, people could work harder for longer. That is the goal for most athletes and active people.

Cellular Energy Production

Research suggests Cordyceps may support the production of ATP, the molecule your body uses as energy at the cellular level. More available ATP means more energy available for your muscles during exercise. This may partly explain why Cordyceps consistently shows endurance benefits across studies.

What Cordyceps Does Not Do

Cordyceps is not a steroid. It is not going to turn a weekend jogger into an elite athlete overnight.

The improvements in studies are real but modest. A few extra seconds of exercise tolerance. A small improvement in oxygen capacity. A slightly delayed fatigue curve. What makes Cordyceps worth including in a functional beverage is not that it is a magic performance enhancer. It is that the effect is real, the mechanism makes sense, and there are no significant safety concerns with reasonable daily use.

It works best alongside training, sleep, and good nutrition. Not in place of them.

How Cordyceps Compares to Other Adaptogens

Cordyceps is one of three adaptogens in Josie, each targeting a different part of your energy system.

Lion's Mane works on your brain, supporting focus and cognitive performance through nerve growth factor stimulation. Cordyceps works on your body, supporting endurance and physical energy production through ATP and oxygen utilization. Vitamin B12 supports mood and normal energy metabolism at the cellular level.

If you want to understand how all three adaptogens in Josie work together, read our full guide to what adaptogens actually are. And if you want to go deeper on the focus side of the formula, our breakdown of whether Lion's Mane actually works covers the research in detail.

Why Cordyceps Is in Josie

Josie was built for people who want real functional benefits from the things they drink every day. When choosing adaptogens to include, Cordyceps was an easy yes.

It pairs naturally with the caffeine in the drink. Caffeine gives you the immediate alertness. Cordyceps may support the endurance side of the equation. Together they create a clean, sustained energy profile that works for the gym, the desk, or just getting through a long day without fading.

Add in Lion's Mane for focus support and Vitamin B12 for normal energy metabolism, and Josie is built around actual functional benefits. Not just marketing words on a can.

You can try Josie in all four flavors at drinkjosie.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cordyceps actually do for the body? Cordyceps may support endurance, oxygen utilization, and cellular energy production through its effects on ATP. Multiple human studies have shown improvements in aerobic capacity and time-to-exhaustion with regular Cordyceps supplementation.

Is Cordyceps safe to take every day? Yes. Cordyceps has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is well tolerated at standard doses. There are no significant safety concerns associated with daily use in healthy adults.

How long does Cordyceps take to work? Most studies showing meaningful benefits used supplementation periods of three to twelve weeks. Some acute effects on energy may be noticeable sooner, but consistent daily use over several weeks produces the most reliable results.

Can I get Cordyceps from a drink instead of a capsule? Yes. Josie includes Cordyceps in every can alongside Lion's Mane, Vitamin B12, and 65mg of natural caffeine from green coffee beans. It is one of the easiest ways to get a daily dose of Cordyceps without adding another supplement to your routine.

What is the difference between Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris? Cordyceps sinensis is the wild variety harvested from caterpillar larvae in Tibet and is extremely expensive. Cordyceps militaris is the commercially cultivated version used in most supplements and functional beverages. Research suggests militaris has comparable beneficial compounds to sinensis and is what most studies use.