Are there anti-doping rules in sports against Viagra? Is it considered a performance-enhancing drug for athletes?This was a hot topic a few years ago, when the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) was considering whether to ban Viagra from sports, and researchers released reports that cyclists could improve their (athletic) performance up to 45% at high-altitude conditions while using the drug.
There were also a couple of high profile cases of athletes taking the drug under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Former New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens was caught with a stash of Viagra in his locker, hidden in a GNC vitamin bottle. And cyclist Andrea Moletta was removed from the Giro d'Italia after police found 82 Viagra tablets and some syringes hidden in toothpaste tubes in his father's car.
How does Viagra give athletes an edge? By dilating blood vessels, it makes it possible for the body to pump more blood through the lungs, increasing delivery of oxygen to the muscles. Reportedly, some athletes have also taken it in combination with anabolic steroids, to enhance absorption of the steroids.
And yet, after all the suspicion surrounding the blue pill, WADA has not yet banned its use for athletes. Follow up studies showed that the drug's effect at sea level was not proportional to its high-altitude boost, and some athletes didn't derive any real benefit from it. The jury may still be out though, as results from the studies continue to be analyzed.
However, it's unlikely that Viagra will be banned as a performance enhancing drug, since some male athletes take it for legitimate reasons, and there's no compelling evidence that it can be widely used to improve athletic results.
