Performance Enhancing Drug Scandal?

[Weird Harold]

Presented without comment because there are just too many comments to choose from:

Riders using Viagra for altitude? (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/may08/may23news) (article is about two-thirds down the page)

Report: Viagra May Provide Baseball Players On-Field Edge (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8228928)

Just two of nearly three million google hits for "viagra" and various sports.

(This is a PG13 forum, so at least try to keep it clean people. :D)

[Nazbaque]

Hmmmm maybe the drug makes those baseball players really want to swing their sticks.

[Weird Harold]

Hmmmm maybe the drug makes those baseball players really want to swing their sticks.
You'd think it would make wearing a protective cup uncomfortable, though.

[Nazbaque]

Maybe a tight grip around the family jewels exites them

[Yuri33]

Well, Viagra was originally developed as a hypertension and anti-angina drug, but proved to be pretty ineffective. However, it had serious cardiovascular side effects in people who have a previous history of heart trouble.

I don't really see how it can enhance performance. Among the common side effects include headaches, photophobia, and blurry vision.

Viagra does increase blood flow by relaxing vascular smooth muscle, but its effect is almost entirely concentrated in the penis (hence why it was dropped as a heart drug). There are plenty of other drugs that more effectively deliver increased blood flow to the muscles.

[Davian93]

I don't really see how it can enhance performance.

I thought that was the whole point of Viagra?

[Weird Harold]

There are plenty of other drugs that more effectively deliver increased blood flow to the muscles.

True, but those are already banned by most sports governing agencies. :D

I'm not sure how it would enhance (sports) performance but the first link cites a double blind study that showed a 45% increase in performance at altitude without aclimatization. <shrugs>

[Terez]

Just more proof that men's sports are all about homoeroticism.

[caladanbrood]

If only women's sports were all about lesbianism :(

[Nazbaque]

Tennis is;)

[Terez]

If only women's sports were all about lesbianism :(
Aren't they?

[pops taer]

I'm gonna tell all ya'll right this minute, without a doubt in my still able mind. If Maria Sharipova or Jennie Finch are lesbian, I'm turning into a lesbian myself!!!!!!!

[Weird Harold]

I'm gonna tell all ya'll right this minute, without a doubt in my still able mind. If Maria Sharipova or Jennie Finch are lesbian, I'm turning into a lesbian myself!!!!!!!
I'm already a lesbian trapped in a man's body. :D

[Weird Harold]

Just more proof that men's sports are all about homoeroticism.
The two links I posted are about men's sports, but Viagra is also creeping into women's sports. It's not about homoeroticism or homophobia, it's about getting that extra littl edge that can mean the idfference between a ten million dollar contract and an eleven million dollar contract.

[Yuri33]

True, but those are already banned by most sports governing agencies.

Many of those drugs are common hypertension medications. I haven't specifically looked, but I doubt they would all be banned for sports.

I'm not sure how it would enhance (sports) performance but the first link cites a double blind study that showed a 45% increase in performance at altitude without aclimatization. <shrugs>

That first link also went on to describe how that study's analysis could be flawed (they separated the analysis of Viagra-takers into "responders" and "non-responders"). Another study in that link showed that simply acclimating to altitude (which all competitive cyclers in these competitions do) nullified any enhancement by Viagra.

I think it's still largely a placebo effect right now. But you are right, many athletes will do anything, even unproved things, to try and get that edge and a bigger contract.

[Crispin's Crispian]

I think it's still largely a placebo effect right now. But you are right, many athletes will do anything, even unproved things, to try and get that edge and a bigger co.....ntract.

fixed.

Anyway, several studies have linked cycling with impotence (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/363070.stm), so I wonder if there is an ulterior motive.