A new and stiff challenge emerges in the campaign against doping.
The blue diamond-shaped pill, whose chemical formulation is sildenafil citrate, was developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to treat pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in arteries of the lungs. It suppresses an enzyme that controls blood flow, allowing the vessels to relax and widen.
It gained worldwide popularity as a drug to treat impotency in men, since the same mechanism facilitates blood flow into the penis. The drug is back in the news because it seems in the case of athletes it has shown increased cardiac output and more efficient flow of oxygenated blood to the muscles, thus enhancing endurance.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has begun an investigation into whether Viagra does create an unfair competitive advantage in dilating an athlete’s blood vessels and unduly increasing oxygen-carrying capacity. If the investigation establishes this, the agency will consider banning the drug.
Whichever way the investigation goes, it is likely to open a fascinating new chapter. Some experts say Viagra allows one to compete with a sea-level, or near-sea-level, aerobic capacity at altitude. Some others however are skeptical and say it will be extremely difficult to prove that Viagra provides a competitive edge. If at all Viagra gives an advantage, it may be slight and athletes would probably take it along with other drugs.
One wonders how the authorities will react to the “slight advantage”. This advantage can also accrue from better diet, or training, or coaching. A ban on any of these will be implausible. However, scientists’ uncertainty about the performance-enhancing effect of human growth hormone did not prevent the authorities from banning it.
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At present, there is no evidence of widespread use of Viagra among athletes. However, a report in a New York paper said that off-label Viagra use had become “bigger than creatinine” among athletes and bodybuilders.
To be sure, if word spreads that Viagra gives an edge, however slight, its consumption may shoot up among athletes. Through the decades, this tribe has tried everything from strychnine to bulls’ testicles to veterinary steroids.
A beginning of sorts has been made already. Last May, cyclist Andrea Moletta was removed from the Tour of Italy after a search of his father’s car reportedly threw up 82 Viagra pills and syringes concealed in a tube of toothpaste. However, the investigation ended without formally accusing Moletta of doping.
Several years ago, word spread that Viagra was being given to dogs at racetracks. Erectile dysfunction drugs are believed to be popular in the world of horse racing. Apparently, they improve the cardiovascular performance of horses, though that’s not what those spam emails talk about when they say that Viagra “will make a stallion out of you”.
