Can Viagra Improve an Athlete’s Performance…on the Field?

Apparently, not only are guys in the NFL relying on the ADHD drug Adderall to help increase their overall performance, but a recent interview with Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall indicates that some athletes are finding a little extra get-up-and-go by using erectile dysfunction medication before game time.

Now, while running for a touchdown with a glass-cutting boner may seem counterintuitive, researchers say that using drugs like Viagra to assist a player in being on top of his game might not be as insane as it sounds.

That is because the active ingredient in many popular boner pills, known as sildenafil citrate, does help to deliver more oxygen to the muscles, which ultimately relieves fatigue commonly associated with traveling at high altitudes - and not just the altitude of their raging hardons, either.

So, the question is, could Viagra popping football stars actually be getting an high-rise advantage from taking this type of medication before playing in stadiums in higher altitudes?

Well, according to research conducted by both Stanford University and the University of Miami, players are likely to receive little to no benefit from dosing themselves with sildenafil citrate before a game, at say, Denver, Colorado.

"We tested close to 60 trained men and women across our two studies and found no clear benefits at altitudes ranging from 6,890 to 12,795 feet simulated altitude," said Kevin Jacobs, an associate professor in the University of Miami's department of kinesiology and sports sciences. "It appears from previous work that sildenafil has more consistent benefits at very high altitudes, above 14,100 feet."

Researchers say that while people climbing Mount Everest might get a little superhuman strength as a result of using erection medication, the possibility of a football player getting an advantage from the drug, while playing in even the highest stadium, is not likely. Not to mention it has to be pretty painful trying to contain a rock hard muff-thumper inside of a jockstrap.