Cordyceps vs Maca for energy
Short answer: For energy, more users report improvement with Cordyceps — 91% of 123 reports, versus 85% of 48 for Maca.
Cordyceps has 21 meta-analyses and 32 randomized trials on PubMed; Maca has 13 and 13.
Based on 487 reports about Cordyceps and 405 about Maca. Not medical advice.
| Cordyceps Supplement | Maca Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 67%helped190 reports · high confidence | 53%helped190 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 21 / 32 | 13 / 13 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Libido % reporting improvement | 89% (28) | 90% (152) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 91% (123) | 85% (48) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 91% (23) | 83% (41) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 96% (53) | 100% (6) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 78% (23) | 92% (12) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, anxiety, insomnia, hypertension | anxiety, stomach issues, acne, headache |
| Typical dose reported | 500 mg / daily | 1 rounded tbsp (~9 g) / 3 days on / 2 days off, then a week off |
Nevertheless, the evidence is inconclusive to recommend the routine use of mushrooms for cancer patients. More trials are needed to explore mushroom use during and after cancer treatment.
Curr Oncol Rep, 2023 ↗“A few grams in the morning mixed in with water, I feel more alert throughout the day and have more energy but have trouble falling asleep and wake up early.”
Conclusion: The evidence from the included studies suggests unclear effects of maca on semen quality parameters in both men experiencing infertility and healthy men. However, the total number of RCTs and the total sample size were too small to draw firm conclusions.
Front Pharmacol, 2022 ↗“The better experiences were with gelatinized maca powder, 20g or so in a cup and my cock was hard as El Peñón de Gibraltar.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate