Cyclists' secret to great performance? How about Viagra?

November 28, 2:51 PMCycling ExaminerJames Raia

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Cycling Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Creative headline writers could, shall we say, test their prowess. And it could provide a new sporting definition of endurance.

What could trigger all the excitement? In a word, Viagra, a drug that might be among the current choice for athletes seeking performance enhancement.

According to a brief report on cyclingnews.com, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is examining the potency pill Viagra to determine if it has a performance-enhancing effect in sports.

Initially developed in the mid-1990s to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, Viagra is now primarily used to alleviate erection problems. But WADA could add Viagra to its list of banned substances.

"There have been statements to suggest that [Viagra] is performance-enhancing," said WADA president John Fahey to the press after a Foundation Board meeting on November 23. "That is being evaluated. Before any decision to put it on the prohibited list, there has to be a rigorous examination that allows the Committee to make a recommendation. No decision has been made."

The result of the WADA study, according to the cyclingnews.com report, is expected next February. And if it’s determined as a performance-enhancing drug, it could be banned as early as next September.