Is Viagra The Next Great Athletic Doping Scandal?

Could the little blue pill be the help a runner needs to get his next gold medal? The World Doping Agency is testing out the theory that Viagra can help athletes heal faster and upgrade their conditioning. The drug, which as you know helps bring blood to your pico, does it by controlling an enzyme that regulates blood flow so your arteries relax and widen in the lungs. But does that help athletes?

“Basically, it allows you to compete with a sea level, or near-sea level, aerobic capacity at altitude,” Kenneth W. Rundell, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Marywood, said of Viagra.

Cool, so every soccerista will take it before heading to Mexico City or Denver. But what about the rest of them?

Some athletes are believed to take Viagra in an attempt to aid the delivery of steroids to the muscles and hasten recovery from workouts. Others take Viagra to counter the effects of impotence brought on by steroid use, said Dr. Gary I. Wadler, the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s committee on prohibited substances.

Others, like 2-year-old Calvin Muteesa take Viagra four times a day to stay alive. It’s a pretty slippery slope. We’re reminded of when Romario was busted for using his hair growth medication to mask his steroid abuse, but this is a bit more delicate. Seriously, the only way you can test the use of Viagra is to take the athlete and sit them in front of the cheerleading squad and give them the Gregory Hines Eunuch test from History of the World Part I. If he stays down, it’s okay. Any boner, though, automatically gets you a four-game suspension.

New Suspect in Sports Doping Is, No Joke, Viagra [NY Times]
Boy, 2, Takes Viagra Everyday to Survive [Fox News]
Image [rediff.com]