Does Tadalafil Improve Athletic Performance?

Exploring the Effects of Tadalafil on Athletic Performance

You may know tadalafil by the brand names Cialis or Adcirca. It's commonly taken to treat erectile dysfunction, but is also used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate) and high blood pressure in the lungs (known as pulmonary arterial hypertension).

Tadalafil is a type of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE5i), which means it works by blocking an enzyme in the body called phosphodiesterase 5. By blocking this enzyme, tadalafil helps to relax the muscles in the blood vessel walls. This opens up the blood vessels and improves blood flow.

Relaxing the smooth muscle in the blood vessels (and other places) helps improve the symptoms of various conditions. Increasing blood flow to the penis improves the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Opening up the blood vessels in the lungs reduces high blood pressure. Finally, relaxing smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder helps to improve the symptoms of BPH.

The beneficial effects of tadalafil can also extend to other areas of the body, and tadalafil is sometimes used alongside nutritional supplements to improve exercise performance.

Tadalafil in the Context of Athletic Performance

Some people decide to take tadalafil as a pre-workout supplement to enhance their athletic performance, despite the fact that it is not licensed for this use. They feel it can improve their muscle growth and/or their performance during workouts and sports.

Let's find out more about the impact tadalafil has on the body, and whether it actually has performance enhancing effects.

How Tadalafil Influences Blood Flow and Muscle Function

To understand how tadalafil may improve exercise performance, we need to talk about one way that the body controls blood flow.

Nitric oxide is a molecule that's released by the body to relax the blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow through. This can be helpful, as increased blood flow means more nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the tissues in your body.

But how does nitric oxide cause the blood vessels to relax? This is achieved by the release of a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). High levels of cGMP lead to blood vessel relaxation through a series of complicated steps that we won't explore right now.

Taking tadalafil blocks an enzyme called PDE5 that breaks down cGMP. By keeping cGMP levels higher for longer, tadalafil helps maintain good blood flow within the penis, lungs, prostate, and even your muscles. This can improve disease symptoms, but may improve nutrient and oxygen delivery to the muscles, delaying fatigue and resulting in better athletic performance.

The Role of Tadalafil as a Pre-Workout

Tadalafil is gaining popularity as a pre-workout supplement. Users feel that tadalafil gives them more energy and stamina to work out, especially when coming off of a steroid cycle. Let's review the evidence behind these claims.

Research Findings on Tadalafil and Athletic Performance

A review article in the Current Sports Medicine Reports journal investigated the impact that tadalafil (and other PDE5 inhibitors) can have on athletes' bodies. They found that these drugs can improve sports performance. Improvements were greater when athletes were hypoxic (low on oxygen), such as during running, cycling, rowing, and endurance events.

Interestingly, another study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that tadalafil does not improve exercise tolerance and other fitness-related parameters. However, this was a small study that involved 14 young, male, healthy athletes with normal oxygen levels. These findings might not apply to all groups of people or types of exercise, as this study only involved static cycling.

An article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, while tadalafil didn't significantly improve most anaerobic performance indices (such as fatigue index and total power), it did decrease the time to peak power. This could suggest that taking tadalafil may be more useful for sports that require a quick burst of maximum strength.

We know tadalafil can target the cardiovascular system, but it may also impact other exercise-related body systems. Several studies have found that tadalafil use can increase the amount of various hormones, including testosterone levels. As increased testosterone can increase muscle mass and power, this may be another way that tadalafil can positively impact exercise performance.

Finally, there's some evidence that PDE5i's like tadalafil can change how muscle cells use energy and improve how effectively they use glucose. However, this study involved mice rather than humans so should be interpreted with caution.

Considering all the evidence, it seems likely that tadalafil can impact exercise performance in a positive way. The effects of this drug are likely to vary between individuals and for different types of exercise. It's also important to note that most studies have been completed in men (or animals). There's limited data on PDE5i use in women.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Despite not being banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), tadalafil and other phosphodiesterase inhibitors may give athletes a competitive advantage over other athletes. As it's not banned by WADA, tadalafil is not tested for during routine drug tests. This means athletes won't get disqualified from competitions for taking tadalafil.

Although it's technically not illegal to use tadalafil in this way, there's some disagreement as to whether using a performance-enhancing drug is ethically wrong, even if it is legal.

Potential Risks and Adverse Effects

Tadalafil is licensed to treat an enlarged prostate, high blood pressure in the lungs, and erectile dysfunction, but not as an exercise-enhancing supplement. This means taking tadalafil to improve your exercise performance is off-license, and most healthcare professionals won't prescribe it for this purpose.

Whilst a high dose of tadalafil requires a prescription, the product Cialis together is available over the counter from a pharmacy. This medication contains 10mg of tadalafil and is available after a discussion with a pharmacist.

Consulting Healthcare Professionals

Everyone should discuss their medical history with a healthcare professional before taking tadalafil, including people who choose to buy it over the counter. There are various medications and health conditions that may make tadalafil unsafe for you.

Without all the information, a healthcare professional can't advise you whether tadalafil is safe for you to take (for any reason), so it's important to be truthful.

Conclusion

Tadalafil can seem like an appealing pre-workout supplement, especially when there are several studies that suggest it can improve sports performance. Despite these benefits, tadalafil is not licensed for use in athletic contexts.

If you do decide to take tadalafil for this reason, make sure to discuss your health with a medical professional first.