Cordyceps is one of the most valued medicinal mushrooms in all of TCM. Once reserved exclusively for the emperors of Ancient China, hot water extracts of this versatile mushroom have become popular among competitive athletes. Cordyceps attracted public attention in 1993 when a group of Chinese runners, using a Cordyceps extract to enhance endurance and stamina,* broke nine world records during the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Germany. Modern clinical applications, listed below, closely mirror those uses described in TCM.*
