Argentinian Club Union de Santa Fe Using Viagra to Help Deal With Altitude
Union de Santa Fe has determined that taking the blue pill is the best option for its Copa Sudamericana match Wednesday, according to ESPN.com.
The Argentinian club is facing Ecuadorian team Independiente del Valle in the nation's capital of Quito, and Union de Santa Fe deciding on an interesting way to deal with the altitude. Union de Santa Fe won the first leg against Independiente del Valle 2-0 and will now face off at 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) above sea level.
When speaking with radio station Sol 91.5, club director Santiago Calvo explained how the team is going to use Sildenafil, which is more commonly known as Viagra, as a way to prevent the altitude from taking too much of a toll on the players.
"There are two reasons high altitude leaves players lacking air," Calvo told the station. "On the one side, there is less oxygen. For this, we have oxygen tubes to be used before the match, at half-time and after the game.
"The other side is the pressure from the atmosphere. This increased pressure creates a vasoconstriction; the arteries become smaller around the lungs. This decreases the interchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide -- and that is where the Viagra comes in. It widens the blood vessels around the lungs."
The Argentinian national team used this strategy in 2017 when facing Ecuador. Argentinian club Atletico River Plate also tried this approach in 2015 when playing in Bolivia, but the cocktail combining Viagra, caffeine and aspirin did not result in victory.
Calvo made sure to mention that no player is required to take Viagra for the match.
