Sporting Wood: Athletes Rising Above The Competition With Help From Viagra

As Major League Baseball debates on whether or not the game could do without  wood bats, there's another more pressing concern, one that bulges at the seams of the sporting world, ready to spew forth and bring many to their knees.

Viagra.

Everbody's favourite little blue pill, subject of countless late-night television monologues and saviour for middle-aged men everywhere, it seems more and more athletes are turning to Viagra for its performance-enhancing abilities, and I'm not talking about in the bedroom.

Admittedly, it's not on par with the steroid scandal that has made baseball seem a little flaccid this season, but I did jerk my head when I first heard about this developing situation. 

Viagra, as it turns out, works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, which makes blood vessels expand. Theoretically, that allows blood cells to get more oxygen from the lungs.  With more oxygen going to your muscles, that's more energy and, in turn, that can make you a better athlete.

Some doubt the blue pill can make you hit balls a little farther or go for the sack with a little more vigour, but preliminary studies have shown that cyclists taking Viagra improved their performances by up to 40 percent.

When it comes to cycling, lowering the helmet, hammering hard and, filling the gap isn't easy.  Any little edge can mean all the difference between first and second.

Still, WADA - the World Anti-Doping Agency - is taking a long, hard look at Viagra. For the time being, it isn't a banned substance, but that could change as we build up to the Olympics, where sports such as handball, pole vaulting ,and fencing would all benefit from a leg up.

In the meantime, athletes will continue to take Viagra as necessary.  Those with a keen eye may have already seen some of the effects in many sports. 

In baseball, many batters have been choking up on the bat, getting them to first base, second base, and third base far more often.  That doesn't even include the increase in grand slams.  The batter's box is getting much more crowded with big league hitters looking to drive it home.

At Euro 2008, there has been a lot more scoring this year than in previous years.  Even with the wet conditions, players have managed to take advantage and score big!

For the fan, it all adds up to better play, but at what cost?  In Kansas City earlier this week, umpire Brian O'Nora took some wood to the head after Miguel Olivo splintered his bat.  No one wants to see that.

Come what may, the sporting world has to curb Viagra use, otherwise the competition may become too stiff, too wooden and, ultimately, fall flat.