Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Cordyceps Cicadae on Visual Function and Anti-Fatigue Performance in Esports Athletes

Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Cordyceps Cicadae on Visual Function and Anti-Fatigue Performance in Esports Athletes: A Prospective Trial

The objective of this study is to evaluate, through a clinical human consumption trial, the effects of taking two capsules (each containing 250 mg of Cordyceps cicadae mycelium, for a total intake of 500 mg per dose) of Grape King Cordyceps cicadae mycelium on visual function and anti-fatigue performance in esports athletes.

This study aims to enroll 12 participants (aged 20-30 years), who are esports players, through oral announcements for recruitment. The anticipated source of participants will be students from the Department of Multimedia Game Development and Applications, Hungkuang University of Science and Technology, second-year and above.

On the day prior to the trial, participants will undergo a baseline ophthalmic examination (serving as the control values). Following the baseline assessment, participants will undergo ophthalmic examinations after 1 hour and 2 hours of esports training, respectively, resulting in a total of three measurements. All data will be recorded in the case report form (CRF).

On the day of the trial, participants will first undergo an ophthalmic examination. After completion, all 12 participants will be randomly allocated into groups using the QuickCalcs randomization tool (GraphPad Software, https://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/randomize1/). Based on the random allocation, capsule packages labeled with codes 001 to 012 will be prepared, containing either the investigational product or placebo. Each package will be distributed to the corresponding participant. Of the 12 participants, 3 will be assigned to the placebo group, and 9 will be assigned to the Cordyceps cicadae mycelium group.

Participants will undergo ophthalmic examinations at 1 hour and 2 hours post-administration, and the results will be recorded in the CRF.

The investigational product will be in capsule form, containing Cordyceps cicadae mycelium (250 mg per capsule) and excipients, with no other additives. The placebo will have the same excipients and capsule composition, except without the mycelium. Each participant will take a single oral dose on the test day (2 capsules). All investigational products and placebos will be provided by Grape King Bio Ltd.

Inclusion Criteria:

• People with myopia less than 700 degrees
• Willing to participate in this study and sign the consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) Those who have recently consumed related eye care products
• (2) Those who have had eye infections or surgery in the past three months
• (3) Those who have been diagnosed with eye diseases by an ophthalmologist (such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc., or have undergone eye surgery such as cataract surgery, retinal laser surgery, myopia laser surgery, etc., which will be excluded before accepting the case)
• (4) Those who are allergic to cicada fungus