You might be wondering why professional footballers tend to pop viagra like it’s going out of style. Well, it could be because they’re constantly on the road, making travel and hotel stays more convenient for them. But there is also the more intriguing possibility that some footballers might be taking viagra because of its reputation as a stamina enhancer. Could sports drugs really be responsible for the scoring records set during the 2005 World Cup? We think so. Here, we outline the evidence and provide a brief run-down of some of the effects that Viagra may have on a professional football player.
An Intimate Look At Professional Football
To really appreciate how far things have come in football, you need only look as far as the NFL, which stands for National Football League. In the early years, the sport was largely restricted to amateur players, and it wasn’t uncommon for NFL players to take part in a few high-profile rivalries during a season (such as the annual Thanksgiving Day games). Nowadays, with the growth of professional rugby and other sports, the NFL has become one of the most prominent sporting leagues in the world.
The NFL has established a presence in every major market across the globe. In America, the league has particularly embraced the country’s cultural diversity, with many players hailing from different backgrounds. The league even allows fans to create their own team names and colors, allowing them to truly be a part of the game they love.
While the NFL has become immensely popular, it remains an expensive sport to follow, with players earning an estimated average salary of around £60,000 per week. This is in part due to the high cost of living in some of the cities that the league operates out of, but it’s also down to the nature of the game. An NFL game can last up to three hours, and it’s not unusual for matches to be held on Sunday afternoons, causing many of the league’s stars to endure a full working week. In contrast, the Bundesliga, the major league of Germany, only has Saturday matches, and players are paid an estimated £37,000 per week, or £85,000 per month.
All of this might help to explain the growing popularity of recreational drugs among professional footballers. The stigma that used to surround them is slowly being overturned, and players are realizing the health and wellness advantages of a regular regimen of supplements and recreational drugs.
Why Do Football Players Take Viagra?
As we mentioned above, the most prominent drug in the headlines thanks to some of the world’s best footballers is Viagra. It’s been around since 1998 and was originally designed to treat prostate problems in men. Since then, the drug’s reputation as a performance enhancer has brought a new generation of fans, with some even starting to question whether or not footballers should be allowed to take part in international competitions. Is it any coincidence that the latest incarnation of Viagra was approved for use by the FDA in 2012 for the specific purpose of helping men with stamina issues?
It’s not just recreational drugs that have seen a revival among pro gamers. Some players have started taking vitamin E and C, as well as the amino acid L-Citrulline to help them in their quest to remain injury-free and maintain their strength. In fact, a survey carried out by the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery found that 70% of players used ‘stamina drugs’ for this purpose. What’s more, the majority of players (58%) used these products prior to their involvement in an athletic event, suggesting that they were taking them to help them perform better rather than risking an injury in the first place.
It’s certainly no secret that recreational drugs can help to improve athletic performance. It’s now well-established that taking ecstasy before a sporting event can improve the power and velocity of a thrown ball, and it’s likely that this will increase a player’s enjoyment of the game. It’s also well-documented that recreational drugs can improve reaction time and the capacity for an athlete to continue working hard, enabling them to recover quicker from their exercise routines. These are all essential elements needed for a successful sporting performance.
The Effects Of Viagra
So, what exactly is Viagra doing for all of these footballers? Well, it’s difficult to pinpoint one exact mechanism, but there are a number of potential benefits that it could have for a professional sportsperson. Here are just a few of them.
Improving Stamina
The main reason why Viagra has become so popular among footballers is due to its reputation as a stamina enhancer. It’s well-known that the drug can increase blood flow to the penis, which in turn promotes stronger and more prolonged erections. What’s more, studies have shown that men who take Viagra prior to sexual activity experience an increase in sexual satisfaction, primarily because it allows for longer and more intense sessions. It’s clear that a professional football player on the road for 75% of the season needs all the help he can get to remain sexually desirable to his partners, especially with so much time off in between games. This is one area where recreational drugs can be of particular advantage to a pro athlete. As mentioned above, the majority of players in a survey said that they took ‘stamina drugs’ to improve their performance, and it’s easy to see why. Without quick and easy erections, a professional sportsperson is already losing out on a potentially lucrative game. If a drug could improve his odds of staying hard for longer, he would be willing to try it out. And with the increase in longevity seen among people over 50, coupled with the fact that many men still experience periodic erectile dysfunction, there is clearly a market for such a product.
Reducing The Damage Of Exercise
Another exciting area where vitamins, amino acids, and recreational drugs could help a professional athlete is in relation to the damage that they suffer from during and after their athletic events. Studies have shown that taking a football player’s dose of Viagra prior to participating in an international match could reduce the muscle damage caused by excessive exercise, enabling them to train harder and longer without suffering from negative effects. This is certainly beneficial to a pro athlete, as recovering quickly is of paramount importance if they are to maintain their health and continue performing at the highest level. This is also why many footballers take a combination of vitamins C and E, as well as L-Citrulline, prior to training sessions. These supplements work together to protect muscle tissue during peak periods of physical activity, as well as helping in the recovery process afterward, enabling players to get back out on the football pitch as soon as possible. Some people even argue that taking amino acids during exercise can reduce muscle damage and improve performance – something that would be beneficial for a player aiming for that little extra in the next game.
Increasing The Desire To Train
There is also considerable evidence that recreational drugs can help to boost an athlete’s desire to train. If you’ve ever watched a game of football and seen a player go on to the pitch with a seemingly genuine desire to win, then you know exactly what we mean. The desire to train is an important aspect of an athlete’s drive, and it can be somewhat exhausting pursuing one’s passion for a sport. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, you’ll know exactly what we mean when we say that “happiness is a warm gun”. The desire to train can be greatly increased by the use of recreational drugs, and it’s one area where these substances can make a real difference to a sportsperson’s performance. It’s well-established that a high level of fitness in men is directly correlated to higher degrees of sexual satisfaction, leading some experts to question whether or not taking recreational drugs can improve a person’s sex life. If you’re an avid football fan and you regularly worry about whether or not your team is going to win, then it’s clear that this type of psychological effort could be good for your health in a number of ways.
The Future
With the recreational drug scene enjoying something of a boom in football, it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. It’s clear that the stigma that was once associated with taking recreational drugs is slowly being eroded, and as a result, more and more people are coming forward to try out these therapies for health problems. If a drug could increase a professional football player’s performance in a measurable way, there would be no question as to whether or not he should take it. It’s also clear that more and more people are looking for ways to self-medicate for psychological problems, and if a drug could be shown to have positive effects on mood and desire, it would undoubtedly find a place on many peoples’ therapy lists.