A story in the New York Times covers studies now underway to determine whether Viagra should be considered another doping drug for endurance athletes. Viagra not only affects the penis, experts say. The drug, sildenafil citrate, suppresses an enzyme that allows blood vessels to relaxe and widen thereby increasing their capacity to transport oxygen to muscles.
Of particular interest for climbers is the following excerpt:
“Basically, it allows you to compete with a sea level, or near-sea level, aerobic capacity at altitude,” Kenneth W. Rundell, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Marywood, said of Viagra.
-New York Times
Note: C.A.M.P. may be the foremost innovator of technical alpine equipment, but it may take years to develop a harness equipped to suit an erection.
