Does Viagra Give Athletes A Boost?
Looks like that little blue pill is moving out the bedroom and into the sports arena.
Many athletes believe that taking Viagra will help improve their performance in the field. And preliminary studies, showing a 40% performance improvement for cyclists taking Viagra, support this believe.
But experts aren’t convinced. They argue that even though Viagra works on the nitric oxide in the body and causes blood vessels to expand resulting in increased heart function and more oxygen in the lungs, it’s not a guarantee that it will improve an athlete’s performance.
In fact some doctors suggest that it’s actually Viagra’s more well-known effects on men’s sex lives that might be the reason for an athlete’s improved performance on the field. Here’s what Dr. Gerard Varlotta, director of sports rehabilitation at New York University’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, has to say …
“If athletes are euphoric after sex after taking Viagra, they may be euphoric about their athletic endeavors,” Varlotta said. “That may make them a better athlete.”
Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency ain’t happy. They are currently studying Viagra’s effects in athletes. If they decide that it is a performance inducing drug, they may look at banning Viagra. And that would be a performance in itself.
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Apparently Viagra won’t help healthy lungs. It can’t fix something that’s not broken