wang junxia

Cordyceps: The Natural Steroid Anti-Dopers Can’t Ban

The 1993 Chinese Running Mystery

In 1993, at the National Games in China, the world of athletics witnessed something unbelievable. Chinese runner Wang Junxia and her teammates smashed records in the 3,000m and 10,000m races. Their times weren’t just fast... they were borderline superhuman.

Wang’s 10,000m record of 29:31.78 stood unchallenged for over two decades, leaving even modern-day athletes baffled. Meanwhile, the 3,000m race saw five Chinese runners break the previous world record in a single event. Competitors and analysts had one burning question...

What was happening in China?

Coach Ma Junren, the mastermind behind these performances, insisted it was due to his unique training methods and a special herbal supplement—one that included a rare mushroom called Cordyceps and, bizarrely, turtle blood.
But was that the whole story? Or was something darker at play?

The Suspicious Rise of China’s Runners

The early 90s was a time of explosive growth in China’s sporting success. As the country emerged as an international athletic powerhouse, whispers of state-sponsored doping programs grew louder. Ma Junren’s athletes, nicknamed “Ma’s Army”, trained under grueling conditions. They ran 25 miles a day at extreme altitudes, consuming a secretive mix of herbal medicine and high-protein diets. Critics weren’t convinced that turtle blood and mushrooms alone could produce world-record-breaking endurance levels.  

And then, in the early 2000s, the truth started to unravel.

Before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, six of Ma’s top athletes were dropped from the Chinese Olympic team due to doping concerns. Documents later revealed that at least nine members of Ma’s Army had been part of a systematic doping program. The credibility of their earlier record-breaking performances collapsed overnight.

But here’s where things get interesting. Cordyceps wasn’t banned. Unlike synthetic steroids or EPO (Erythropoietin), this mushroom naturally enhances endurance, making it impossible to regulate under traditional anti-doping policies.

 

Shroomy

Cordyceps is no ordinary mushroom. For centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has used it to boost energy, improve oxygen uptake, and enhance recovery.

But modern sports science took things further. Researchers found that Cordyceps can:

  • Increase oxygen uptake by 9%, helping athletes push longer without fatigue
  • Boost ATP production, the body’s primary energy source for endurance sports
  • Reduce lactic acid buildup, meaning less muscle fatigue and faster recovery

A 2010 study in the Journal of Alternative Medicine showed that endurance athletes taking Cordyceps improved their performance by 7% all without any illegal substances.

Unlike anabolic steroids or EPO, Cordyceps doesn’t artificially alter the body’s chemistry. Instead, it optimizes natural processes. This makes it a legal loophole in performance enhancement, frustrating anti-doping agencies worldwide.

 

The Future of Cordyceps in Elite Sports

With the growing awareness of natural performance enhancers, Cordyceps is becoming a staple in the training routines of elite runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes worldwide. Unlike synthetic stimulants, Cordyceps works in harmony with the body, optimizing oxygen usage, energy production, and recovery, all while staying within the rules of fair competition.

Sports science is only beginning to fully understand the extent of its benefits, but one thing is clear: Cordyceps is reshaping endurance sports. As more athletes integrate it into their regimens, it’s no longer just a Chinese secret. It is a global game-changer.

Ready to fuel your performance naturally? Try our Mushroom Coffee and unlock the endurance-boosting power of Cordyceps today.

I WANT TO TRY!

 

Back to blog