Chad Johnson 'took Viagra before every game' to get around PED rules

Former NFL player Chad Johnson recently made a shocking admission about his pregame preparations. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Chad Johnson: 'I took Viagra before every game' to get around PED rules

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/29/20

Chad Johnson revealed something pretty major about his NFL career on Tuesday night.

The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver said he would take Viagra before games to boost his performance.

I took viagra before every game & people thought they’d stop me, if my stat line was bad i wasn’t covered, the pass was just incomplete
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) July 28, 2020

While many thought Johnson was joking, he replied to a tweet saying: "No it wasn’t a joke, I really took viagra before games, the increase in blood flow made me unbelievable [sic] explosive in & out of my routes," according to Jordan Heck of Sporting News.

As for why Johnson took Viagra? He admitted it was a way to get around the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

NFL tests for steroids, how you gone stop me running on 3 legs every Sunday, no hat https://t.co/fZ1OIx6DQ9
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) July 28, 2020

Does taking Viagra really enhance athletic performance, though? The active ingredient in the drug, Sildenafil, increases blood flow by opening up blood vessels. It allows blood to flow more freely through muscles and can provide more oxygen.

However, many experts still aren't sure if it truly gives athletes a competitive advantage. It won't necessarily make an athlete faster or stronger.

Johnson probably isn't the only former or current NFL player who has used Viagra as a way to "get ahead," and it'll be interesting to see if the NFL has a response to Johnson's tweet.

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