Viagra, Exercise and Altitude
Viagra can improve exercise at altitude, though it is not clear if a single dose is sufficient, or if it needs to be taken regularly. It is also not clear if everyone responds to Viagra in high altitude exercise the same way. In addition, Viagra may be a treatment for altitude sickness.
Contents
1 Viagra and Performance
Viagra (the brand name for Sildenafil) has been shown to help with the effects of altitude. Some studies[1][2][3] have shown that Viagra increases the maximum exercise capacity at altitude. One study[4] showed that for some trained cyclists a single dose of Viagra 1 hour before exercise produced a significant improvement (39%) in sub-maximal performance in altitude (12,700 ft) while others did not experience a worthwhile improvement (1%). However, another study[5] supplied Viagra for 6 days, and the benefits took several days to kick in. Other studies[1] have shown benefits from a single dose 2 hours before exercise.
2 Altitude Sickness
Long term use of Viagra has been shown[6] reduce the impact of altitude. Subjects were given Viagra every 8 hours for 12 weeks inhibited a particular type of altitude sickness (high altitude pulmonary arterial hypertension or HAPH). Viagra also improved the distance the subjects could walk in 6 minutes. Altitude sickness can lead to a potentially lethal condition called "High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema" (HAPE). Viagra is considered[7] a viable treatment for HAPE, and is being used in some situations[8]. The best treatment for Altitude Sickness is decent, but in the event that decent is dangerous, Viagra may be useful.
3 Side Effects of Viagra
Viagra can cause headaches[6] at altitude or at sea level[4]. No other side effects were noted in any of the altitude studies. The primary use of Viagra for Erectile Dysfunction does raise some questions about other possible side effects, as well as being a source of endless jokes. However, background reading suggests that Viagra does not result in unwanted erections and requires physical or mental stimulation. In the treatment of ED, noted side effects included headache, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and impaired vision, including photophobia and blurred vision[9].
4 What this means
Viagra is a prescription medication and should only be taken under medical supervision. I believe that self-medication is foolish and I urge you to talk to your doctor if you think Viagra would help. The performance benefits of Viagra at altitude are significant enough to warrant further investigation if you are competitive or know you have problems dealing with altitude. I would also consider talking to my doctor about a Viagra prescription if I was going to be at in a remote location at high altitude.
5 See Also
- Altitude Training
- Altitude Training Approaches
- Comparison of Altitude Training Systems
- Book Review – Altitude Training and Athletic Performance
- Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure and Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure 101
- Chronic Mountain Sickness
6 References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sildenafil Increased Exercise Capacity during Hypoxia at Low Altitudes and at Mount Everest Base Camp http://www.annals.org/content/141/3/169.short
- ↑ Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - High Altitude Medicine & Biology - 8(2):155 http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ham.2007.1058
- ↑ Informa Healthcare - Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy - 6(5):835 - Summary http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1517/14656566.6.5.835
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sildenafil improves cardiac output and exercise performance during acute hypoxia, but not normoxia http://jap.physiology.org/content/100/6/2031.full
- ↑ Sildenafil Inhibits Altitude-induced Hypoxemia and Pulmonary Hypertension -- Richalet et al. 171 (3): 275 -- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/3/275
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Phosphodiesterase type 5 and high altitude pulmonary hypertension -- Aldashev et al. 60 (8): 683 -- Thorax http://thorax.bmj.com/content/60/8/683.abstract
- ↑ Are sildenafil and theophylline effective in the prevention of high-altitude pulmonary edema? http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877%2802%2900198-6/abstract
- ↑ Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - High Altitude Medicine & Biology - 8(2):139 http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ham.2007.3055
- ↑ Viagra Prescribing Information http://www.pfizer.com/files/products/uspi_viagra.pdf