The Usage of Lion’s Mane in Sports and Its Metabolic Impact – a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.37.57190Keywords
Lion's mane, Hericium erinaceus, sports performance, metabolism, antioxidants, supplementationAbstract
Introduction
Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus), a medicinal mushroom widely recognized for its neuroprotective and health-promoting properties, has garnered increasing attention in recent years for its potential applications in sports and metabolic health. Known for its bioactive compounds, such as hericenones and erinacines, lion’s mane has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cognitive-enhancing properties that may benefit athletes. This review explores current research on the metabolic and sports-related effects of lion’s mane, highlighting both promising findings and gaps in the literature.
Purpose of the Work: The aim of this study is to review the current data on the usage of Hericium erinaceus in sports performance and metabolic health. The review includes an exploration of the biochemical properties of lion’s mane and their relevance to athletic performance, assessment of the evidence gathered from animal and human studies regarding its potential benefits, identifying the gaps in research and proposing directions for future studies.
Materials and Methods
This literature review was conducted by collecting and analyzing peer-reviewed articles, clinical trial results, and relevant research papers from scientific databases such as PubMed and ScienceDirect.
Results
The literature indicates that lion’s mane has potential benefits in enhancing cognitive function, reducing oxidative stress, and improving glucose metabolism—all of which are relevant to sports performance and recovery. However, direct evidence on its impact on athletic metrics such as endurance, strength, or recovery times is limited. Preclinical studies are promising but need to be validated in well-designed human trials.
References
1. Friedman M. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Aug 19;63(32):7108-23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914. Epub 2015 Aug 5. PMID: 26244378.
2. Mori K, Obara Y, Hirota M, Azumi Y, Kinugasa S, Inatomi S, Nakahata N. Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Sep;31(9):1727-32. doi: 10.1248/bpb.31.1727. PMID: 18758067.
3. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009 Mar;23(3):367-72. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2634. PMID: 18844328.
4. Khan, M. A., et al. (2013). Lion’s mane mushroom: A natural remedy for neurodegenerative diseases. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine.
5. Aksenov, M. Y., et al. (2021). Role of lion’s mane in reducing oxidative stress and its implications for endurance. Sports Medicine Insights.
6. Banerjee, S., et al. (2024). Comprehensive analysis of Lion’s Mane: Therapeutic properties and metabolic benefits. Journal of Applied and Natural Sciences.
7. Komiya Y, Nakamura T, Ishii M, Shimizu K, Hiraki E, Kawabata F, Nakamura M, Tatsumi R, Ikeuchi Y, Mizunoya W. Increase in muscle endurance in mice by dietary Yamabushitake mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) possibly via activation of PPARδ. Anim Sci J. 2019 Jun;90(6):781-789. doi: 10.1111/asj.13199. Epub 2019 Apr 1. PMID: 30938015; PMCID: PMC6594082.
8. Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R, Hayashi C, Sato D, Kitagawa K, Ohnuki K. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomed Res. 2010 Aug;31(4):231-7. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.31.231. PMID: 20834180.
9. Hiwatashi K, Kosaka Y, Suzuki N, Hata K, Mukaiyama T, Sakamoto K, Shirakawa H, Komai M. Yamabushitake mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) improved lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(7):1447-51. doi: 10.1271/bbb.100130. Epub 2010 Jul 7. PMID: 20622452.
10. Brandalise F, Cesaroni V, Gregori A, Repetti M, Romano C, Orrù G, Botta L, Girometta C, Guglielminetti ML, Savino E, Rossi P. Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:3864340. doi: 10.1155/2017/3864340. Epub 2017 Jan 1. PMID: 28115973; PMCID: PMC5237458.
11. Rossi P, Cesaroni V, Brandalise F, Occhinegro A, Ratto D, Perrucci F, Lanaia V, Girometta C, Orrù G, Savino E. Dietary Supplementation of Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), and Spatial Memory in Wild-Type Mice. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2018;20(5):485-494. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2018026241. PMID: 29953363.
12. Docherty S, Doughty FL, Smith EF. The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2023 Nov 20;15(22):4842. doi: 10.3390/nu15224842. PMID: 38004235; PMCID: PMC10675414.
13. Lewis JE, Poles J, Shaw DP, Karhu E, Khan SA, Lyons AE, Sacco SB, McDaniel HR. The effects of twenty-one nutrients and phytonutrients on cognitive function: A narrative review. J Clin Transl Res. 2021 Aug 4;7(4):575-620. PMID: 34541370; PMCID: PMC8445631.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Karolina Stankevič, Kamila Fuczyło, Ewelina Kopczyńska, Piotr Kulej, Wiktor Biesiada, Justyna Weronika Kmieć, Justyna Woźniak, Anna-Mariia Chernysh, Aleksandra Dusińska, Jakub Waszczyński
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 536
Number of citations: 0
