Viagra Joins Hall of Performance-Enhancing Infamy
Posted by Scott Hensley
June 10, 2008, 5:44 pm
We couldn’t let the day end without a look at some fascinating stories in today’s New York Daily News on the new frontier in performance-enhancing drugs for athletes: Viagra.
You read that right. Viagra for on-the-field performance–mostly. “All my athletes took it,” BALCO founder Victor Conte told the News. “It’s bigger than creatine,” he said. “It’s the biggest product in nutritional supplements.”
Among the Viagra fans named by the News was ex-Yankee Roger Clemens. His lawyer didn’t return the paper’s call for comment.
But as the News points out, there’s no ban on Viagra by Major League Baseball. Heck, for years Pfizer’s Viagra was an official sponsor of MLB. (No word heard from Rafael Palmeiro, former Texas Ranger and Viagra ad man who also tested positive for steroid use.)
What’s the deal with Viagra? As Jordan Lite of the News’ blog the Daily Diagnosis explains, some athletes may have turned to Viagra to increase stamina. A study in the the Journal of Applied Physiology found that Viagra helped improve lung function and blood flow to cyclists’ muscles during training at high altitudes.
Some athletes and trainers believe the blue, diamond-shaped pills can improve the delivery of oxygen, nutrients and other performance-enhancing medicines to muscles. Oh, and then there’s the main use of Viagra to counteract impotence, which can be a side effect of steroid use.
blogs.wsj.com |
