Records

Ben Cao Tu Jing (11th century). Atlas of Materia Medica. Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Translation:

“It was said that in order to evaluate the effect of genuine Shangdang ginseng, two persons were asked to run together. One was given the ginseng while the other ran without. After running for approximately three to five li [equivalent to 1500 to 2500 meters], the one without the ginseng developed severe shortness of breath, while the one who took the ginseng breathed evenly and smoothly.”

From page 92 in the Ben Cao Tu Jing (Atlas of Materia Medica), collected and edited by Zhijun Shang and published by Anhui: Anhui Science and Technology Press (In Chinese) in 1994.