MONTREAL // The World Anti- Doping Agency (Wada) boss John Fahey acknowledged that Viagra is being examined for its potential use as a performance-enhancing drug. Wada are sponsoring a study to determine whether the blue, diamond-shaped pill, associated with treating sexual dysfunction in men, may be used for a competitive advantage in sports. "It's amazing the interest that particular drug does attract," the Wada president Fahey said following a board meeting. "I can simply say this, there have been statements to suggest that it is performance-enhancing - that is being evaluated."
Viagra, or slidenafil citrate, works by supressing an enzyme that regulates blood flow and allows vessels to relax and widen. It also is used to treat hypertension by relaxing the arterial wall. In the case of athletes, increased cardiac output and more efficient transport of oxygenated fuel to the muscles can enhance endurance. "It is under review, no decision has been made and before any changes occur to the prohibited list, it has to be a rigorous examination that allows the committee to make a recommendation," Fahey said. "It's not being ignored, but there has been no decision on it and nor would I suggest that you should interpret as a likelihood that there will be either a positive or a negative decision when the examination is concluded."
Wada are also giving those straying into drugs an extended opportunity to get inline with its efforts to root out the cheats. Fahey declined to name any of the sports or international federations who have been delinquent in enforcing the current anti-doping code, which went into effect in Jan 2004. "The weighting is heavily, at the moment, with those nations that are very limited in the context of capacity based upon resources," Fahey said. "That's another reason and an argument that was put in the discussion that we should help them rather than just simply say, 'Look, you had your chance and you didn't make it'."
*AP