You never knew this about mushrooms

By: Team Popeye's

How much do you know about mushrooms? For example, did you know that we shouldn’t be calling them mushrooms? It would be like calling all plants “leafs” because that’s what we see. In reality, the organism in question is called a “Fungus”. People often think of this in a bad sense. But what about good fungus? Are there fungi that are not only safe, but even great for our health and performance?

You might have already seen a few fungal products mixed into things you already take! If you’re an avid preworkout user, you might have seen “Lion’s Mane” increasingly appear in your products. Cordyceps is another one that’s popping up more and more, but why?

PeakO2

One common thread that unites them all mushroom products is their rich antioxidant nature. This nature makes them great for aiding in improving sport performance. For example, a common proprietary ingredient, PeakO2, has been a staple of many endurance products. PeakO2 is a blend of a number of fungal ingredients, including cordyceps , Reishi, lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail that has been shown in trials to improve power output of those taking it by an average of 17% in 7 days! It also improved VO2 max in subjects, which is a measure of oxygen consumed while training. As a quick note: more oxygen consumed = more performance!

Lion’s Mane

But other fungi have their own unique properties. Remember Lion’s Mane? It’s able to promote the release of Neuronal Growth Factor – or NGF, which promotes the growth and survival of neurons. This can help with focus, but even more cool than that, can help with the neurological adaptations necessary to exercise performance. Regardless of what kind of training you do, your brain has to be able to keep up – and lion’s mane is great for that!

Cordyceps

There’s also cordyceps, a fungus that has been shown to improve both blood flow and oxygen use by stimulating the release of Nitric Oxide, our main vasodilating signal. Both of which make it a great addition to your exercise supplement lineup! Even better, it has been implicated in anti-ageing mechanisms, because it can protect against oxidative cell damage, helping slow down your cells ageing, and keeping you younger for longer.

Products you must try

Normally, in the fitness world, plants get all the credit for what helps us work harder and push more. But it’s about time that some other, lesser-known players get the credit they deserve! Try out the benefits of mushroom products yourself, with products like Progressive cordyceps, Lion’s Mane and Mushroom Complex. You can also look out for products that have fungal ingredients, like ATP’s Alpha Jack, or a vast array or preworkouts! There’s always something new to try – sometimes, in the most unexpected places.

Enjoy your mushroom discovery!