Viagra’s efficacy on the bed is vouched for by many now. What is new is that it could also improve athletic prowess on the field. At least sprortsmen in the West seem to think so.

In June, 2006, a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that "Sildenafil (Viagra) significantly improved the cardiovascular and exercise performance measures of trained cyclists at high altitude" The drug helped some cyclists improve by as much as 45%, while others received no benefits. At sea level, there was no improvement. Viagra causes lung tissues to relax, which improves blood flow and increases oxygen transport to muscles, which is a problem at higher altitudes.

The ten participants in the study performed 10 cycling trials, with and without Viagra, at sea level and again at a simulated altitude of 12,800 feet. The cyclists didn’t know whether a specific trial included a placebo or one of the two Viagra doses of either 50mg or 100mg. Four of the ten cyclists showed significant improvement with Viagra, which suggests that responders who experienced a greater degree of constriction of the vessels in the lungs at high altitudes benefited more from the vessel relaxation effects of Viagra.

On Tuesday New York Daily News reported that Roger Clemens, a baseball star and under federal investigation for steroid use, had taken to Viagra.

He stashed the clearly marked, diamond-shaped pills in a GNC vitamin bottle in his locker, it has been claimed. And many others do too.