Nobody could have guessed that the events at the 1993 World Athletic Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, would change the lives of thousands of South Asian hills people. Little-known Chinese athletes, Liu Dong, Qu Yunxia and Wang Junxia, sprinted at a blistering pace to win golds in the 1,500m, 3,000m, and 10,000m categories. Their unlikely success brought international attention to their training and diet regime, devised by the now-infamous Ma Junren.
For many years, Junren’s athletes escaped the censure of doping agencies thanks to his innovative use of a secret potion, concocted from a parasitic fungus that is unique to the Tibetan Plateau and some sections of the Himalayas. Cordyceps sinensis, the fungi, has been shown to increase metabolism, decrease blood pressure, improve adrenal hormone secretion – and most reputedly, boost sexual function.
The rumour of the fungus’ legendary abilities stems from the 15th-century Tibetan text, ‘An Ocean of Aphrodisiacal Qualities’, which describes the fungus as a “faultless treasure” that “bestows inconceivable advantages”.
The thirst for the ‘Himalayan Viagra’ drives thousands to the mountains every year; hunting for parasites. It has been a part of traditional medicine in China for centuries – the Ming emperors were among its earliest patrons. In the current era, it’s not illegal, and paired with turtle blood and a brutal training regime, was Junren’s secret to sending many athletes to success.
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