It seems that Viagra has other benefits other than what most people think- studies have began to check if the drug could be used to enhance sports play. Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency is looking into Viagra’s possibilities in improving athlete’s endurance during games.

However, two teams from Brazil have already declared that they are not using Viagra to help their performance at the Copa Libertadores. The competition is being staged in higher altitude places which significantly make athletes more tired. Although Viagra - sildenafil citrate- allows blood vessels to widen and may be beneficial to athletes in cold weather, any drug used to enhance sports performance, such as anabolic steroids, is considered “doping” and will lead to suspensions and large fines.

The issue may have stemmed from misinterpretation of an interview with Alarico Endres, a Gremio trainer. When asked about the possibility of using Viagra to help out their team in the South American cup, Endres simply said they were looking into anything that might help their athletes. In effect, although the answer was extremely neutral, some reporters might have taken it to mean that Endres was considering the drug.

Physician to Gremio, Marcio Bolzoni, clarified that this was not the case. Bolzoni further explained that Gremio would not subject their athletes to experimentations, especially one that involves drug intake.

Parallel to all the talk, WADA is also considering adding Viagra to the list of prohibited substances for athletes engaged in international sports competitions. With all the hype that Viagra is receiving as a performance enhancer, and the fact that urine samples taken from athletes regularly turn up high levels of the drug, it may be time to really investigate the matter. WADA has also noticed that every time a scheduled seizure of banned substances happens, there is also a big turn out of these sexual performance enhancement drugs.

Viagra and Cialis, widely believed to help in sexual dysfunctions in men, are not considered illegal right now and are easily available, even on the Internet. However, common scientific sense dictates that since the primary function of these two dugs is to expand blood vessels and allow more blood to reach the penis, the same action also allows more oxygen into other muscle groups.

The issue on Viagra did not just start with the Copa Libertadores, though. One American expert on banned substances for athletics states that he has already taken up the matter a few years back. Don Catlin says he had warned WADA that sildenafil citrate should be added to the “banned” list.

Since the drug helps men perform better and longer during sexual contact, experts think that Viagra could be used to improve athlete’s performance in endurance sports. Some of these sports, aside from football, include cycling, marathons, and sprints. There have been studies that show a decrease in the time of cyclists that compete in high altitudes. The reduction in time is significant enough that concerns about it have already surfaced.

It is therefore about time for WADA to explore this subject, to clear up speculations that sex enhancement drugs may be used as sports performance enhancers as well. Doping is a serious offense and should never be encouraged or tolerated. For now, experts agree, the mere information that taking Viagra may cause an athlete to perform better should be enough to put the drug in the list of illegal substances for sports.

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