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
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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
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