UKC

I saw a TV show a while back where they were saying people who suffer from poor blood flow in their hands or feet (e.g. going numb) can benefit from Viagra (which also improves blood flow). This got me wondering, would the drug help the average climber to be able to grip for longer and not get pumped so soon?

Serious question....

Is your average climber male or female? It seems important, given your question.

T.

Less than serious answer: I have long argued it would be useful to have an extra point of contact for certain jamming cracks...

Now that's out of the way...  A mate of mine with poor circulation always used nifedipine in winter, but had to be careful due to reduced blood pressure.  I don't know whether that would be an issue with the blue pills or not but it's worth checking.

Not really, it enhances blood flow for both genders, sorry this isn't a joke thread

I'm suspecting as they are about to sell it over the counter it may not be such an issue, assuming we are not talking about high altitude.

He wasn't using it for altitude, just general cold weather.  My understanding is that it increases blood flow, which helps with cold hands and a side effect of that is the pressure reduction which helps with edema at altitude.  I'm no doctor so I can't evaluate it, but that was his justification at the time.

He had a much more relaxed attitude to medication than I do.

Big poster in Boots shop window yesterday saying no prescription required.

I think you may be confusing "get up it" with "get it up".

Easy mistake to make.

Could Viagra enhance climbing performance.

well it certainly enhances my performance, but then im getting on in years. :>))

It diminishes mine, I can't get my hips close enough to the rock (although, maintaining a third point of contact is easier). 

Seriously though, Viagra was developed as an anti-angina drug so it isn't implausible that it might affect circulation in a beneficial way.  I have met climbers chugging beetroot juice before RPs as it supposedly also affects vasodilation (albeit supposedly through a different, nitrate based mechanism ).

There's articles out there about using it to help with altitude and cold weather, but it would be interesting to know if it gives any performance advantage in normal climbing too.

I drink beetroot juice before long runs. It does seem to make running feel a little easier. May well be a placebo though as I'll believe any old rubbish.

Haven't tried Viagra before a long run though...

It’s probably one step ahead of beetroot...

Side effects include sudden-onset hearing loss!

take! I said take!!!

Why make climbing harder than it is already? 

Apparently it's possible to cure oneself of Reynauds using the cold exposure techniques of Wim Hof. I met someone who had done just that a few weeks ago. Start with 45s of exposure in a cold lake 3x per week and build up over time to 2.5 mins. The important thing to breathe normally - no sharp intakes of breath.

In terms of not getting pumped cocaine is probably better than Viagra, plus you'll feel more confident, aggressive and less scared. The old fashioned 'hippy' way can work wonders too. Just go climbing and get pumped lots about 3 to 5 times per week.

Every undercling becomes a hands-off rest.

I'm amazed you got this thread through the spam filter.

Possibly lasting several hours. 

"What's this white stuff all over the crag? Doesn't look like chalk. Feels more like resin, have the French been here?"

You'd be able to hit any crags where the grading's a bit stiff