If you train, compete, or simply want to perform at your best through a long day, VO2 max is one of the most important metrics you've probably never optimised for.
And Cordyceps — a functional mushroom with a research base that's been quietly building for decades — is one of the few natural compounds with credible evidence for supporting it.
Here's what the science actually shows, how it works, and why it matters whether you're an IBF European Champion or a professional who hits the gym three times a week.
What is VO2 max?
VO2 max is the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during exercise. The higher your VO2 max, the more oxygen your working muscles can use — and the more energy you can produce before fatigue sets in.
Elite endurance athletes score 70-85 ml/kg/min. The average untrained adult sits around 35-45. But VO2 max isn't just for athletes. It correlates strongly with longevity, cognitive function, and the ability to sustain high output through a demanding day — mental or physical.
What is Cordyceps?
Cordyceps is a functional mushroom that grows at high altitude — historically in the Himalayan plateau, where Tibetan herders noticed their yaks had unusual endurance after grazing on it.
Modern research focuses on Cordyceps militaris, which is more widely studied in human trials. It's been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years for fatigue, respiratory function and physical performance. The modern research base gives those traditional uses considerably more credibility than most herbal compounds enjoy.
What does the research actually show?
A 2010 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that adults supplementing with Cordyceps militaris showed a statistically significant improvement in VO2 max after 12 weeks — roughly 7%. Meaningful in the context of aerobic performance.
A 2017 study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements found that three weeks of supplementation significantly improved VO2 max and time to exhaustion in young, healthy adults — a harder group to show improvements in since they start from a higher baseline.
The proposed mechanisms include increased ATP production, improved oxygen utilisation at the cellular level, vasodilation to improve oxygen delivery to working muscles, and potential upregulation of enzymes involved in aerobic metabolism.
How Cordyceps supports oxygen uptake
The key bioactive compound is cordycepin, which stimulates ATP production — the energy currency powering every muscular contraction and cognitive process — and supports HIF-1α, a protein that helps your body adapt to low-oxygen conditions. Precisely the state your muscles are in during high-intensity exercise.
This is why Cordyceps supports endurance. Not by stimulating you like caffeine, but by supporting the underlying cellular machinery that determines how long you can sustain output.
Beyond the gym: why this matters for everyday performance
Your brain consumes roughly 20% of your body's oxygen despite being 2% of your body weight. Anything that supports systemic oxygen utilisation has downstream effects on cognitive performance, focus and mental stamina.
This is why NO CRASH combines Cordyceps with Lion's Mane for cognitive clarity and KSM-66 Ashwagandha for cortisol management. The combination supports both physical and mental output — which is how most people actually need to perform: at a desk by day, training by evening, without the 3pm wall.
Ben Crocker, IBF European Champion
Ben Crocker, the IBF European Super-Lightweight Champion, trains with NO CRASH as part of his performance routine. At elite boxing level, the demands on oxygen utilisation and sustained output through rounds are exceptional. NO CRASH contains 1000mg of Cordyceps per serving — properly dosed, without stimulants that interfere with sleep and recovery.
If it works for a world-level fighter, the principle scales to anyone who needs to perform consistently across a demanding day.
The right dose
Studies showing benefits used 1000-3000mg of Cordyceps. Most capsule supplements contain 150-300mg — enough for the label, not enough to replicate the research. NO CRASH contains 1000mg per serving, alongside Lion's Mane 1000mg, Reishi 1000mg, Chaga 1000mg, KSM-66 Ashwagandha 300mg, Rhodiola 25mg, Maca Root 250mg and essential vitamins. Third-party tested. No fillers. Hot or iced.
Try NO CRASH — Starter Pack from £39 → nocrash.co.uk/products/nocrash-starter-pack
As featured in Men's Health. Sponsored athlete: Ben Crocker, IBF European Super-Lightweight Champion.
