Viagra burst into the pharmaceutical market in late 1998 after it was given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration on March 27 in that same year. It has the distinction of being the first pill to be approved to treat erectile dysfunction in the United States.

Interestingly, Viagra was initially studied to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina pectoris (chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease) by a group of pharmaceutical chemists in England. However, during clinical trials it was found out that it has little effect on angina but significant outcome on penile erections.   It is now marketed as treatment mainly for male erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

It has been commercial success since its release in late 1990s, raking in billions of dollars for its patent holder Pfizer. Thus, it has been a precursor for many companies (both legit and illegal) which subsequently came up with Viagra copycats, claiming they have the same potency as this drug.

In 2000, Pfizer was engaged in a legal battle over the patent of Sildenafil (the active ingredient of Viagra) against Eli Lilly and ICOS Corp, co-developers of Cialis. Cialis is a rival impotence treatment also based on a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. Eventually, Pfizer lost a part of its patent, relating to the use of PDE 5 inhibitors in the treatment of impotence (the way in which Sildenafil works). However, the patent of the drug itself remains with Pfizer.  

How Viagra works

Penile erection occurs when the nitric oxide (NO) is released with sexual stimulation. NO causes the relaxation of smooth muscles of corpora cavernosa (the main erectile tissue of penis). The enzyme guanylate cyclase then converts guanosine triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). cGMP causes the smooth muscle to relax so that there is occurs an easy inflow of blood, which then leads to an erection. cGMP is then hydrolysed back to the inactive GMP by PDE5.

 Viagra’s mode of action is centered on PDE5, thus its classification as a highly selective PDE5 inhibitor. Viagra acts by preventing the PDE5 enzyme from occupying its active site and inhibiting it from breaking down cGMP.

Viagra and bodybuilding

In bodybuilding, Viagra is used as a pre-contest drug also because of its positive effect on NO. NO is a chemical compound which plays important role in many biological processes, both beneficial and detrimental to the body. In this article, we’ll talk about its positive effects on bodybuilding.

NO is responsible for ideal blood flow (as you may have gleaned from above); however, this time around, we’ll talk about its benefits on the muscle tissues instead of penile tissues.
In bodybuilding circle, there is the so-called pump, whereby there is an increase in blood flow during high intensity exercise. This increase results to improved transport of oxygen to muscle cells and heightened rate in the removal of lactic acid from the muscle tissues during power exercises. Lactic acid is a compound necessary for the maintenance of energy production.

As you well know that during contest preparation bodybuilders typically modify their diet into low caloric and low carb intake. As a consequence, the lactate-induced muscle blood flow is dramatically decreased. And this negative backlash can be avoided with the use of Viagra because of this drug’s beneficial effect on NO.

Dosage

The recommended dosage of Viagra is 25 mg – 100 mg and taken not more than once a day. The general practice is to start at median dosage (50 mg) and then to increase or decrease the intake depending on user’s tolerance and effective dosage range.
Many bodybuilders prefer to take this drug on an empty stomach and ingest it with 6-8 ounces of electrolyte replacement drink with 2-3 grams L-arginine about 15 minutes before pumping up. The sodium in the drink allows the fluid to stay in the blood stream longer. The sugar increases insulin, which also works favorably in vasodilation to skeletal muscle. Furthermore, L-arginine is a precursor to NO and studies have shown that this amino acid improves NO-mediated vasodilation.

Side effects

Side effects with this drug may include allergic reactions such as hives, difficulty breathing, swelling (face, lips, tongue, or throat).

Minor side effects include warmth or redness in face, neck, or chest; stuffy nose; headache; upset stomach; or back pain.

Major side effects may occur with this drug, such as sudden vision or hearing loss, chest pain or heavy feeling (pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling), irregular heartbeat, and shortness of breath.

Bodybuilders do not have to worry of inadvertently displaying a ‘pumped up’ lower anatomy onstage while on Viagra since this drug, when taken at recommended doses, has no effect on erectile tissue in the absence of sexual stimulation.