Athletes will always look for any legal — and sometimes illegal ways — to find an advantage in their sport. One of the most exciting ways athletes have tried to gain the upper hand is by taking Viagra before games.

Notably, Chad Ochocinco Johnson claimed to have used Viagra before every single NFL game he played in, continuing his legacy as one of the most unique and dominant receivers in the game’s history.

Johnson famously had a very prominent personality on and off the field and loved being the center of attention. In 2020, through a series of tweets, he revealed that he used the drug and truly believed it had performance-enhancing capabilities.

“NFL tests for steroids. How you gon’ stop me running on three legs every Sunday,” he said.

He double-downed, proving that his confession of using Viagra was not a joke. Not only was it not a joke, but he even explained his thought process behind using the small blue pill.

​​”The increase in blood flow throughout the body wouldn’t allow me to get tired [and] I could run for eight quarters if need be,” he said.

Doctor Brittney Kessel, WSU drug information resident and pharmaceutical students Samuel Nahulu and Jessica Ponkratov drafted an informational piece outlining the effect that viagra has on athletic performance if any.

“Despite a theoretical connection between the vasodilatory effects of PDE5 inhibitors and increased athletic performance, there is no concrete evidence that supports this theory,” they said in their report.

If you were to ask certain athletes such as Johnson, they believe that despite the lack of evidence, it is just from a lack of truly studying the effects, whether or not these claims have any base.

It is even theorized the drug could have positive benefits in athletic competition.

“Based on their use in pulmonary hypertension to reduce the pressure in the lungs and increase cardiac output, it is hypothesized that PDE5 inhibitors will allow the heart to pump more efficiently,” WSU PharmD students said.

The effects of an efficient heart are increased blood flow to muscles during strength training, reduced fatigue and enhanced training capacity in athletes.

Not only was it used by Johnson throughout his playing career, but it is also used by athletes who train in high elevations, such as in Colorado. This reduces the risk of developing potentially life-threatening complications based on low oxygen.

It may also be more detrimental than beneficial to take Viagra to enhance athletic performance due to the drug’s side effects.

“Additionally,  [Viagra] use may cause several adverse effects such as low blood pressure, priapism, flushing, heartburn, headache, vision or hearing loss and nose bleeds, among many other potentially life-altering side effects,” WSU PharmD students said in their report

Weighing the actual research done against the perception of athletes such as Johnson on the drug, the only conclusion that can be made is that Viagra is a greater PED than any amount of testosterone.

“If athletes are euphoric after sex after taking Viagra, they may be euphoric about their athletic endeavors,” Dr. Gerard Varlotta, director of sports rehabilitation at New York University’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine said in an Associated Press article.