Double benefits for mile-high club members

[Copernicus]

Viagra Found to Help High-Altitude Athletes

By Alan Zarembo, Times Staff Writer
June 23, 2006, From The LA Times

Scientists have found a performance-enhancing drug that could be exploited by endurance athletes at high altitudes and soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan: Viagra.

One group of research subjects — riding stationary bicycles and breathing through masks to simulate the low-oxygen conditions found at 12,700 feet — improved its times for six kilometers by an average of 39% after taking the erectile dysfunction drug, researchers at Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System reported Thursday.

[Shenlong]

When I opened this thread, I expected it to be some crazy and outlandish promotion by an airline trying to draw in more customers. Still, this is pretty awesome.

Just hope the people that try to use this to help them don't start thinking sexy thoughts while they're running or anything. that might make it a bit harder to maneuver

[BluffVin]

Does anyone ever wonder how they come up with the idea for some of these studies in the first place?

[MathEconomist]

Isn't viagra a blood flow drug originally developed for heart problems? Not really surprising then that it can be used this way.

[posnera]

Yes. Viagra was initially designed as a drug for high blood pressure. The side effect was a coincidence. Now, it is being studied for pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) which is worsened by low oxygen levels (like in patients with lung disease from smoking). This is a huge potential market, and unlike ED, would require multiple pills to be taken every day.