Cordyceps sinensis accelerates stem cell recruitment to human skeletal muscle after exercise

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #cordyceps #young-adult #male #exercise

Cordyceps sinensis accelerates stem cell recruitment to human skeletal muscle after exercise

Dewi et al., 2024 | Food Funct | Rct

Citation

Dewi Luthfia, Liao Yu-Chieh, ... Kuo Chia-Hua. Cordyceps sinensis accelerates stem cell recruitment to human skeletal muscle after exercise. Food Funct. 2024-Apr-22;15(8):4010-4020. doi:10.1039/d3fo03770c

Abstract

Cordyceps sinensis is a parasitic fungus known to induce immune responses. The impact of Cordyceps supplementation on stem cell homing and expansion to human skeletal muscle after exercise remains unexplored. In this study, we examined how pre-exercise Cordyceps supplementation influences cell infiltration, CD34+ cell recruitment, and Pax7+ cell expansion in human skeletal muscle after high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on a cycloergometer. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted with 14 young adults (age: 24 ± 0.8 years). A placebo (1 g cornstarch) and Cordyceps (1 g Cordyceps sinensis) were administered before exercise (at 120% maximal aerobic power). Multiple biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis for muscle tissue analysis before and after HIIE. This exercise regimen doubled the VEGF mRNA in the muscle at 3 h post-exercise (P = 0.006). A significant necrotic cell infiltration (+284%, P = 0.05) was observed 3 h after HIIE and resolved within 24 h. This response was substantially attenuated by Cordyceps supplementation. Moreover, we observed increases in CD34+ cells at 24 h post-exercise, notably accelerated by Cordyceps supplementation to 3 h (+51%, P = 0.002). This earlier response contributed to a four-fold expansion in Pax7+ cell count, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence double staining (CD34+/Pax7+) (P = 0.01). In conclusion, our results provide the first human evidence demonstrating the accelerated resolution of exercise-induced muscle damage by Cordyceps supplementation. This effect is associated with earlier stem cell recruitment into the damaged sites for muscle regeneration.

Key Findings

This effect is associated with earlier stem cell recruitment into the damaged sites for muscle regeneration.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Cordyceps
  • Young Adult
  • Male
  • Exercise
  • Adult
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Stem Cells
  • Antigens, CD34
  • Female
  • PAX7 Transcription Factor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Rct
  • Publication Types: Randomized Controlled Trial, Journal Article
  • Vertical: cordyceps-performance

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09