Both research teams used similar study protocols, but came to different conclusions.The participants in the study performed both moderate exercise and a time trial (10k at sea level and 6k at high altitude) after either taking no pill, a placebo pill, or sildenafil. And in doing so they were evaluated in the most brutal way possible - by the audience they were writing for! Several studies have been performed to determine just that. This indicates that for athletes strongly affected by high altitude, sildenafil may counteract some of these negative effects and improve athletic performance. But the highest NFL stadium, in Denver, is at just about 5,280 feet (1,600 meters).

"The stark discrepancy between the Stanford and Miami studies, said Jacobs, might owe to the way participants were selected. Among the "responders," times improved by 39 percent compared to a sildenafil-free performance.In the past few years, researchers at the University of Miami tried to replicate the results of the Stanford study with a pair of trials that included more participants, this time both men and women, and a wider range of altitudes. Sildenafil has also been shown to have similar effects on the blood vessels in the lungs. (The cyclists may have hoped, Jacobs speculated, that the study would help them find the root of their problem. "It appears from previous work that sildenafil has more consistent benefits at very high altitudes, above 4,300 meters [14,100 feet]. I've heard of some crazy stories. On the face of things, Viagra, the well-known erectile dysfunction medication, would seem like an unusual addition to a doping athlete's regimen. Each student on the course was required to post weekly articles here as they learned how to translate complex science into something a broad audience can understand and appreciate.

This allows an increased blood flow to the penis and results in an erection.

The four men who did see improvements were the same men who had been most negatively affected by the high altitude to begin with. In the first trial, a field of 20 male and 15 female athletes did cycling time trials at the same simulated altitude as the cyclists in the Stanford study.

You will receive a verification email shortly.There was a problem. www.mindthesciencegap.org/.../12/can-viagra-enhance-athletic-performance That’s what scientists at Stanford University and the University of Miami decided to investigate. But if what Marshall heard is true and NFL players are using it to boost their game, their strategy may have at least some scientific basis.This is why Viagra and Revatio, a drug prescribed to combat pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs), are in fact just two names for the same substance.Even healthy people can start to experience some of the fatigue associated with pulmonary hypertension when they travel to So a Viagra or two would likely help Everest climbers stay strong during the trek. New York, Each semester, ten Master of Public Health students from the University of Michigan participated in a course on Communicating Science through Social Media. But … And what about the obvious questions: wouldn’t we be able to While Marshall’s statement definitely created a buzz in the sports world, the credibility of Viagra as a performance enhancing drug hasn’t been proven.

At sea level, no differences in performance were seen between taking sildenafil and not taking it. There is a chance that for some athletes who are particularly negatively affected by high altitude, sildenafil could help them when competing at high altitudes.

I've heard [of] guys using like Viagra, seriously. At high altitude, however, four of the men showed increased oxygen content of the arteries and great improvements in their time trials when taking sildenafil. The authors concluded that sildenafil may improve athletic performance for certain people at high altitude, but not at sea level, where most athletic competitions take place.You may be wondering how studies of cycling time trials at high altitude can be applied to football players at sea level. Please refresh the page and try again.Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. "I'm fortunate enough to be blessed with size and some smarts to give me my edge. "… it is such a competitive league, guys try anything just to get that edge," Marshall said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, when asked about an apparent increase in NFL suspensions related to the ADHD drug Adderall. For this reason, it is sometimes used to Could this beneficial effect on the lungs help athletes perform better?

This is why the "responders" (those who benefited from sildenafil) in the Stanford study were not much faster than the "nonresponders" in the high-altitude time trials.Instead, the responders were much slower at high altitudes when they didn't have sildenafil, and when they did, the whole field showed similar times. But some guys, they'll do whatever they can to get an edge. NY 10036. Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, works by expanding and relaxing the blood vessels in the penis.