Dopers? Athletes on Viagra
Athletes looking for a performance boost appear to be turning to a little blue pill more often taken for its off-the-field benefits: Viagra.
Experts are divided over whether the erectile-dysfunction drug actually offers an edge, but it has attracted the attention of the World Anti-Doping Agency. The agency said it’s studying Viagra’s effects in athletes but hasn’t yet banned it.
Viagra is not on the International Olympic Committee’s list of prohibited drugs, either, so athletes can take it at the Beijing Olympics. Keep an eye out for that, eh?
Viagra works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, which makes blood vessels expand. That, theoretically, should allow blood cells to get more oxygen from the lungs and might improve heart function.
But whether Viagra makes athletes faster, higher or stronger is uncertain.
“Just because you have more nitric oxide doesn’t mean that you are going to be a better athlete,” said Anthony Butch, director of the Olympic Analytical laboratory at UCLA. “If you have all the nitric oxide you need, and if you generate more from Viagra, it’s not clear what effect that would have.”
Some preliminary studies have shown that cyclists taking Viagra improved their performances by up to 40%.
Rams’ Jackson: Flushed out
This must qualify as everything you wanted to know about Rams tailback Steven Jackson’s off-season.
“I had a colonic,” Jackson told yahoo.com, referring to the trendy colon-cleansing therapy that is akin to an extended enema on steroids. “My girlfriend had the bright idea: ‘Let’s go get your system cleaned out.’ It lasted about 45 minutes, and by the end, I (expletive) wanted to cry. Let’s just say I got stabbed in the (rear) six times.
“There’s this thin, hose-type thing that you put up there that shoots water into you and sucks everything out, but I had trouble getting it in, and then it kept coming out. The lady had to come back six different times and put it back in there. It was brutal.”
Quick hits
• The China Daily reported that Yao Ming’s 7-foot, 6-inch bed from the Olympic Village will be among items available in an online auction of Olympic memorabilia. For those who like to stretch out.
• What does actress and Red Wings super fan Kristen Bell have in common with Ashanti, Jet Li, Zac Efron and Danica Patrick? She’ll be a presenter at the ESPY awards, which air July 20.
Related posts:
- Why Viagra is a great workout partner for athletes
- Viagra’s now a sports drug?
- What does Viagra do, exactly?
- Drained after work-out? Viagra may help
- Why you should talk to your physician.
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