National Football League

Will NFL's next PED fad be Viagra?

Published Nov. 29, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

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Have professional athletes found a use for Viagra outside of the bedroom?

Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall says he's heard of some NFL players using the drug to improve athletic performance — on the field.

"I know guys, it is such a competitive league, guys try anything just to get that edge," Marshall told reporters this week. "'I’m fortunate enough to be blessed with size and some smarts to give me my edge."

Viagra hadn't been a major topic in NFL circles, but the issue of drugs being taken for reasons beyond their prescribed intent has come into focus recently thanks to a series of suspensions of players who have used Adderall, often prescribed for people with attention-deficit disorders.

One benefit of Viagara and similar drugs would be the enhanced delivery of oxygen to the muscles, which also aids in hastening the body's recovery from workouts. The drug also counteracts impotence, a frequent side-effect of steroid usage.

Though Viagra is a legal drug, it requires a prescription.

Cyclist Andrea Moletta was banned from the Tour of Italy in 2007 after he was found to be in possession of Viagra pills and syringes.

“It clearly provides an unfair advantage, at least at altitude,” an expert leading the World Anti-Doping Association’s research told The New York Times.

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