Cordyceps are a functional mushroom that can help your pup be more active, give them more energy, and help them feel younger!
It’s almost summertime, and that means it’s time to get back to hiking with your pooch, frisbee sessions at the park, games of fetch by the lake, and other fun warm weather activities! For some dogs, it also means training for agility trials, dock jumping, search and rescue, and more. Whether your dog is a competitive athlete or just loves recreational activities any time of year, they need energy, stamina, and healthy joints. Find out how Cordyceps can help!
The Preferred Mushroom of Athletes!
Have you noticed your dog slowing down as they age? Lack of energy and wear and tear on the joints can do that. Don’t fret—there’s a mushroom for that! The Cordyceps mushroom (Cordyceps militaris) has been used for centuries to enhance athletic performance. And Cordyceps isn’t just for improving stamina in athletes.1 All humans (and dogs too) can benefit from this mushroom! In fact, cordyceps has a reputation for improving energy, stamina, cognition, and mood, so it’s popular among elderly people.
Cordyceps: What the Studies Say
Several published studies confirm the benefits of Cordyceps for humans. Although there aren’t any published studies about our four-legged friends, anecdotal observations from pet parents and veterinarians confirm the same benefits for dogs. Let’s look at what cordyceps can do, according to the studies:
- Enhance aerobic performance in older people
- Improve exercise capacity and resistance to fatigue
- Increase grip strength
- Increase production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that carries energy
- Regulate blood pressure by increasing the diameter of blood vessels
- Increase oxygen delivery to the tissues
- Help with fat metabolism and endurance4
- Help with leaky gut syndrome (LGS), which can be an underlying cause of inflammatory bowel disease
- Increase quality of life for patients with chronic cardiac failure, renal failure, and chronic pulmonary disease
The Science Behind These Functional Mushrooms
So how exactly does this mushroom help your pet’s performance and activity? Cordyceps contain biologically active molecules that improve immune function and calm the nervous system and behavior. Unlike other mushrooms, cordyceps also contain an immuno-modulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor compound called cordycepin that:
- Is ergogenic (enhances physical performance, stamina, and recovery)
- Increases fat metabolism
- Helps regulate blood glucose
- Regulates spermatogenesis
- Stimulates the production of corticosteroids in the body
Real Cordyceps with Real Benefits for Dogs!
Real Mushrooms has a Cordyceps mushroom extract that can help your four-legged friend be more active so you can have more fun together. If your aging pup has started to slow down a little, consider adding this functional mushroom to their daily diet.
REFERENCES:
1Beneficial Effect of Cordyceps militaris on Exercise Performance via Promoting Cellular Energy Production; Nutrients 2019, 11, 2357; doi:10.3390/nu11102357 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients.
2Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on Exercise Performance in Healthy Older Subjects:
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial; The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine; Volume 16, Number 5, 2010, pp. 585–590.
3Cordyceps militaris: An Overview of Its Chemical Constituents in Relation to Biological Activity; Foods (2021) 10,2634.
4Rhodiola/Cordyceps-Based Herbal Supplement Promotes Endurance Training-Improved Body Composition But Not Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Biomarkers: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients (2019) 11, 2357; doi:10.3390/nu11102357 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients.
