New doping: WADA set their sights on Viagra

[andygates]

Viagra as a performance enhancer … in sports. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine
       

"Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the penis." It's not a penis drug. It's a blood-flow drug. By dilating vessels and increasing oxygenation, it can improve athletic performance. Two studies have already verified this effect in cycling and mountaineering. "It clearly provides an unfair advantage, at least at altitude," an expert leading WADA's research tells the New York Times. "I couldn't imagine it not going down on the [prohibited drugs] list."

Cue the jokes

[токамак]

It's not a penis drug. It's a blood-flow drug.

Um, no. It is a penis [edit](and lung)[/edit] drug and not a blood flow drug.

Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of cGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5)

PDE-5 is primarily distributed within the arterial wall smooth muscle of the lungs and penis, sildenafil acts selectively in both these areas without inducing vasodilation in other areas of the body

Mechanism of action from Wikipedia.

[blackburnrod]

For 24hr TT riders who need to keep it up all night.

[andygates]

A penis and lung drug.

[Fixedwheelnut]

 The true meaning of stiff competition 

[clarion]

Gets you a head in any race

[токамак]

Source: Roger Clemens, host of athletes pop Viagra to help onfield performance

Catlin said he even wrote a letter several years ago to then-WADA chairman Dick Pound, notifying him that Viagra might be a doping agent.

The e-mail got bounced back by Pound's offensive-content filter, which thought it was spam.

[ChrisO]

It should be pretty easy to spot any racing cyclist one who's taken Viagra.

They'll be the ones in baggy shorts.

[David Martin]

Well I'm sure the WADA boffins will rise to the task ahead and the issue will come to a suitable climax.

Missing the Sun headline 'Dick hunts Viagra cheats'..

..d

[pcolbeck]

It should be pretty easy to spot any racing cyclist one who's taken Viagra.

They'll be the ones in baggy shorts.

And with special saddles.

[Hot Flatus]

Sounds like the right tool for the job

[токамак]

Personally, I always like to ride hard.

[andygates]

Seeing Dick Pound's name always makes me giggle. 

[Rhys W]

Anybody want to post that photo of the Polish team in red shorts now?