Mushrooms, now on the sports pitch

Mushrooms have met their moment, increasing in both relevance and reverence. What’s the mushroom story? And do mushrooms have a sporting chance to make it in the sports nutrition field?

Todd Runestad, Content Director, NaturalProductsInsider.com

January 30, 2024

3 Min View

At a Glance

Mushrooms are a class of nutritional supplements with a range of health benefits.
There are specific health benefits for different mushrooms.
Performance is the latest health condition target using mushrooms.

Mushrooms have been around for centuries, with a lot of great data on them—immunity, gut health and now seeing clinical evidence start to mount around different health benefits. Adaptogens have been big and getting popular, people understand adaptogens and mushrooms are great as adaptogens. Mushrooms have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There are specific health benefits for different mushrooms.

Sempera is grouping different mushroom species into Core turnkey blends, specific to different health benefits with a different set of mushrooms and bioactives. The Core Performance blend has shiitake, chaga and reishi and is looking at physical and cognitive performance at the same time, giving the company health targets including endurance and energy and focus.

About the Author(s)

Todd Runestad

Todd Runestad

Content Director, NaturalProductsInsider.com, Natural Products Insider

Todd Runestad has been writing on nutrition science news since 1997. He is content director for NaturalProductsInsider.com and Natural Products Insider digital magazines. Other incarnations: supplements editor for NewHope.com, Delicious Living!, and Natural Foods Merchandiser. Former editor-in-chief of Functional Ingredients magazine and still covers raw material innovations and ingredient science.

Connect with me here on LinkedIn.

Specialty

Todd writes about nutrition science news such as this story on mitochondrial nutrients, innovative ingredients such as this story about 12 trendy new ingredient launches from SupplySide West 2023, and is a judge for the NEXTY awards honoring innovation, integrity and inspiration in natural products including his specialty — dietary supplements. He extensively covered the rise and rise and rise and fall of cannabis hemp CBD. He helps produce in-person events at SupplySide West and SupplySide East trade shows and conferences, including the wildly popular Ingredient Idol game show, as well as Natural Products Expo West and Natural Products Expo East and the NBJ Summit. He was a board member for the Hemp Industries Association.

Education / Past Lives

In previous lives Todd was on the other side of nature from natural products — natural history — as managing editor at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He's sojourned to Burning Man and Mount Everest. He graduated many moons ago from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Quotes

"There is not a colds-and-flu season. There is a vitamin D-deficiency season."

"There is no such thing as inclement weather. Only improper attire."

Link answers question, "When taking magnesium, should you also take vitamin D3 2,000 IU?"

"Cannabis is nature's most nearly perfect plant."

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