6/22/08

Athletes are turning to a new performance enhancing drug: Viagra. Traces of the drug, which is intended to alleviate sexual dysfunction, are increasingly appearing in the testing of samples from sports competitors.

It has become so widespread that the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is considering whether to include Viagra in its list of substances banned in international sports.

Christiane Ayotte, head of a Wada-accredited laboratory in Montreal, said she regularly identifies Viagra and Cialis, a similar product, in the urine of male sports competitors. No action is taken because it is not illegal.