Cordyceps vs Reishi: Energy Mushroom vs Evening Mushroom

Cordyceps and reishi sit at opposite ends of the day. Cordyceps is the energy mushroom: it is studied for exercise capacity, and in a small 3-week trial in young adults a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris improved VO2max. Reishi is the evening mushroom, traditionally used to ease the mind and studied for antioxidant status in healthy adults. You can take cordyceps and reishi together, either split morning and evening or in one daily blend.

Key Takeaways

• Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, polysaccharides, GABA and ergothioneine, and cordyceps has a long history in Asian practice as a tonic valued for reducing fatigue (Jędrejko et al., 2021).
• In a small trial in young adults, 4 g a day of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris improved VO2max after 3 weeks, with no such change on placebo (Hirsch et al., 2017).
• Reishi has been valued for over 2,000 years and is described in China's official pharmacopoeia as able to "ease the mind" (Wachtel-Galor et al., 2011).
• In 42 healthy adults, 6 months of a reishi extract raised total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity (Chiu et al., 2017).
• Caffeine is not among the main compounds of either mushroom. A simple split is cordyceps in the morning or before exercise and reishi in the evening.

Cordyceps vs Reishi at a Glance

	Cordyceps	Reishi
Latin name	Cordyceps militaris (most supplements); Cordyceps sinensis in older research	Ganoderma lucidum (also called lingzhi)
Key compounds	Cordycepin, polysaccharides, GABA, ergothioneine	Polysaccharides and more than 100 triterpenes
Traditional role	A tonic valued for reducing fatigue	A mushroom to "ease the mind"
Main focus of research	Exercise capacity: VO2max, time to exhaustion, breathing thresholds	Antioxidant status, calm and sleep
Stimulant	No; caffeine is not among its compounds	No; caffeine is not among its compounds
Usual time of day	Morning or before exercise	Evening, or in a morning blend

Cordyceps: The Energy Mushroom

Cordyceps has been used for centuries in China, Tibet, Nepal and India, including to adapt to life at high altitude, and Asian ethnomedicine values it as a tonic that reduces fatigue. Wild Cordyceps sinensis is scarce and costly, so Cordyceps militaris, a related species that can be grown in culture, is the common alternative. Its main active compounds are cordycepin, polysaccharides, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and ergothioneine, and the review names cordycepin as its main compound with ergogenic, or exercise-supporting, potential. Caffeine is not among them (Jędrejko et al., 2021).

Human research on cordyceps centers on exercise:

• In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 28 young adults took 4 g a day of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris or a placebo for 1 week, and 10 of them continued for 2 more weeks. After 3 weeks, VO2max, the top rate at which the body can use oxygen, rose by 4.8 ml/kg/min on the blend compared with 0.9 on placebo, and time to exhaustion improved on the blend at 1 and 3 weeks. The authors suggested that steady daily use may bring greater benefits (Hirsch et al., 2017).
• In a 12-week pilot trial using a Cordyceps sinensis extract called Cs-4, 20 healthy adults aged 50 to 75 took 333 mg three times a day or a placebo. Their metabolic threshold rose by 10.5% and ventilatory threshold by 8.5%, measures of how hard you can work before tiring, with no change on placebo (Chen et al., 2010).

Both are small trials, and both point to the same habit: steady daily use, usually earlier in the day. Our guides to Cordyceps militaris benefits and cordyceps vs caffeine go deeper, and our cordyceps ingredient page covers the basics.

Reishi: The Evening Mushroom

Reishi has been recognized as a medicinal mushroom for over 2,000 years in China, Japan and other Asian countries. It is a large, dark, glossy mushroom with a woody texture, and its main compounds are polysaccharides and more than 100 triterpenes, mostly ganoderic and lucidenic acids, which make it bitter. China's official pharmacopoeia describes reishi as able to "ease the mind" (Wachtel-Galor et al., 2011).

In people, reishi studies in healthy adults have measured antioxidant status:

• 18 healthy adults aged 22 to 52 took 1.44 g a day of reishi for 4 weeks in a double-blind crossover study. Antioxidant capacity in their urine rose, with no sign of liver, kidney or DNA toxicity (Wachtel-Galor et al., 2004).
• In a 6-month double-blind crossover trial, 42 healthy adults took 225 mg a day of a reishi extract enriched in triterpenes and polysaccharide peptides, and a placebo in turn. On reishi, total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity rose (Chiu et al., 2017).

Reishi's sleep research is in animals: in rats, 3 days of a reishi fruiting body extract increased total sleep time and non-REM sleep (Cui et al., 2012). Together with its traditional use, that is why most people save reishi for the evening. Our guide to reishi for sleep covers timing in detail.

Cordyceps vs Reishi for Energy and Sleep

This is the main difference between the two. Cordyceps is the one to look at for energy and exercise, and reishi is the one for winding down:

Question	Cordyceps	Reishi
Studied for exercise?	Yes: VO2max, time to exhaustion and breathing thresholds	Not its main area
Studied for sleep?	Not its main area	Yes, in rats: more total and non-REM sleep
Stimulant?	No; caffeine is not among its compounds	No; caffeine is not among its compounds
Best time	Morning or before training	Evening

Because cordyceps is not a stimulant, its energy is about how well your body works under load rather than a caffeine-style jolt. If you want a gentle lift with your morning cordyceps, a cocoa drink adds theobromine, which our guide to theobromine vs caffeine explains. For how cordyceps compares with lion's mane, see lion's mane vs cordyceps, and for reishi with lion's mane, lion's mane vs reishi. For more on timing, see our guide to cordyceps and sleep, and for guidance written for women, see cordyceps for women. For cordyceps next to the birch antioxidant mushroom, see our guide to cordyceps vs chaga.

Taking Cordyceps and Reishi Together

Yes, you can take cordyceps and reishi together. They are often paired because they cover both ends of the day: cordyceps for daytime energy and exercise, reishi for a calmer evening. There are two common ways to do it:

• Split by time of day: cordyceps with breakfast or before a workout, reishi in the evening.
• One morning blend: both in the same capsules, which many people find easier to stick with. Neither is a stimulant, so they sit well together at any time of day.

Most people tolerate both well. In the 4-week reishi study, healthy adults showed no sign of liver, kidney or DNA toxicity (Wachtel-Galor et al., 2004), and the cordyceps trials above ran 3 to 12 weeks in healthy adults. Skip both if you have a mushroom allergy, and check with your clinician first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or take prescription medicine.

Who Might Choose Which

Your main goal	A good fit
Daytime energy without caffeine	Cordyceps
Training and endurance	Cordyceps, before exercise
An evening wind-down	Reishi
Antioxidant support	Reishi
A warm morning drink	Cordyceps in a mushroom cocoa drink
Energy and calm in one routine	Both, in a daily blend

Our non-stimulant energy and focus guide covers the daily habits that support steady energy.

Where Our Mushroom Cacao and Forage Fit

Our Mushroom Cacao is a morning way to get your cordyceps. It is a mushroom hot chocolate made with cocoa, cacao and a high polyphenol, high theobromine cocoa extract, plus 500 mg each of cordyceps and lion's mane 8:1 fruiting body extracts per serving. Stir one rounded teaspoon (5 g) into 6 to 8 oz of hot water or milk. Each serving has 15 calories and 0 g sugar, sweetened with stevia, and the jar holds 28 servings. Cocoa and cacao naturally contain a small amount of caffeine, so it is not caffeine free; its lift comes mainly from theobromine. Our mushroom hot chocolate guide has more.

For cordyceps and reishi together, our Forage has 200 mg each of cordyceps, reishi and lion's mane and 150 mg each of chaga, maitake, turkey tail and shiitake per 2 capsules, all as 8:1 fruiting body extracts, plus 100 mg of Himalayan shilajit extract, 100 mg of ashwagandha root extract and ginger extract in vegan capsules. Take 2 capsules daily in the morning, with or without food. Both are made with third-party tested ingredients.

Benefits build with consistent daily use. Months 1 to 2 can bring early changes, and 3 months and beyond is where the full benefit builds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between cordyceps and reishi?

Cordyceps is the energy mushroom, studied for exercise capacity and usually taken in the morning. Reishi is the evening mushroom, traditionally used to ease the mind and studied for antioxidant status.

Can you take cordyceps and reishi together?

Yes. Many people take cordyceps in the morning and reishi at night, or both in one daily blend such as our Forage.

Is cordyceps or reishi better for energy?

Cordyceps. In a small trial, a blend containing Cordyceps militaris improved VO2max in young adults after 3 weeks, and it is traditionally valued as a tonic that reduces fatigue.

Is reishi or cordyceps better for sleep?

Reishi. A reishi extract increased total and non-REM sleep in rats, and its traditional use is to ease the mind.

Will reishi make me tired if I take it in the morning?

Many people take reishi in a morning blend alongside other mushrooms. If it suits you better at night, take it in the evening instead.

Does cordyceps have caffeine?

No. Its main compounds are cordycepin, polysaccharides, GABA and ergothioneine, and caffeine is not among them.

Should I take cordyceps before a workout?

Many people do. The trials measured daily use over 1 to 12 weeks, so taking it every day matters more than the exact timing.

How long do cordyceps and reishi take to work?

The studies above ran from 3 weeks to 6 months of daily use, so plan on weeks to months of steady use.

Sources

• Jędrejko KJ, Lazur J, Muszyńska B. Cordyceps militaris: an overview of its chemical constituents in relation to biological activity. Foods, 2021. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/11/2634
• Hirsch KR, Smith-Ryan AE, Roelofs EJ, Trexler ET, Mock MG. Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high-intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2017. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/27408987
• Chen S, Li Z, Krochmal R, Abrazado M, Kim W, Cooper CB. Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/20804368
• Wachtel-Galor S, Yuen J, Buswell JA, Benzie IFF. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): a medicinal mushroom. In: Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, 2nd edition, 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/
• Wachtel-Galor S, Tomlinson B, Benzie IFF. Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study. British Journal of Nutrition, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN20041039
• Chiu HF, Fu HY, Lu YY, Han YC, Shen YC, Venkatakrishnan K, Golovinskaia O, Wang CK. Triterpenoids and polysaccharide peptides-enriched Ganoderma lucidum: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy in healthy volunteers. Pharmaceutical Biology, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1288750
• Cui XY, Cui SY, Zhang J, et al. Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2012. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/22207209

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.