Viagra as the Next Steroid

We all know the lengths athletes will go to for that extra edge over the competition, to go that extra bit further with the use of performance enhancing drugs. We see professional athletes subject their bodies to years of torment through steroid use that it is questionable as to whether the rewards outweigh the health costs.

Recent talk has even suggested that athletes are investigating the common cure for male limpness, Viagra, as a possible performance enhancing drug.

The main ingredient behind the success of Viagra is sildenafil citrate. This main ingredient suppresses an enzyme that regulates blood flow and allows vessels to relax and widen.

This would mean that the blood vessels open to allow more blood and more oxygen to pass through to the muscle to combat fatigue during exercise. It has been suggested in use with high altitude training to increase blood flow.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is looking into whether Viagra should be added to the list of prohibited substances after considering its use as a performance enhancing drugs.

Does this mean that Viagra could follow down the same path as anabolic steroids and its use be classed as cheating in sport?