Viagra Being Used for On-field Edge?

...and I thought the golden thong story was weird.

According to the New York Daily News, Viagra has recently become a popular pre-game drug for athletes looking for an edge on the field (and I suppose off the field as well.) In particular, the paper cites a source familiar with the New York Yankees clubhouse that says Roger Clemens stashed the little blue pills in a GNC bottle in his locker.

But don't think for one second that Clemens was alone. Reports are that numerous athletes have been using Viagra and doing so for a while, making it one of the hottest locker room drugs. Apparently use has become so widespread that anti-doping officials have begun looking into it.

"All my athletes took it," BALCO founder Victor Conte said. "It's bigger than creatine. It's the biggest product in nutritional supplements."

In addition to the main use Viagra that we are all familiar with, it is said to build endurance, especially for athletes at high altitudes, by delivering oxygen, nutrients and performance-enhancing drugs to muscles more efficiently.

It is important to note that Viagra is not a banned drug in any sport, though the World Anti-Doping Agency is funding a study at three U.S. universities to determine if it aids training and improves performance. And if studies are conclusive, it could be added to the list of prohibited substances in Olympic sports as soon as the 2012.

So while just as strange as a golden thong, the use of performance-enhancing Viagra may have one advantage...it works.