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Viagra Boosts Performance at Altitude |
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Written by Superhuman
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Saturday, 19 January 2008 |
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Viagra (sildenafil) improves sexual performance, but it also may boost the physical capacity to have sex— at least at altitude.
Viagra improves cardiovascular capacity during exercise at altitude, but not at sea level. The drug boosts fitness at altitude by reducing blood pressure in the lungs. Viagra increases cardiac output (blood pumped by the heart per minute), stroke volume (blood pumped by the heart per heartbeat), oxygen saturation (percent of red blood cells carrying oxygen) and endurance exercise capacity. Not all subjects benefit from the drug— there were responders and nonresponders. An animal study showed that Viagra promoted recovery from jetlag during simulated eastbound flights by 50 percent, but did not affect recovery from westbound flights. The drug works by preventing destruction of an enzyme that regulates the body’s internal clock. Viagra improves endurance performance in some people at altitude, which has important implications for our soldiers in Afghanistan and active people, such as skiers, backpackers and climbers. (Journal of Exercise Physiology, (online) 10 (3): June 2007)
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