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Tadalafil is a prescription drug closely related to Viagra. It is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Both competitive and recreational athletes sometimes use it too, to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition that can limit how well the body tolerates exercise.

It belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, which block an enzyme that breaks down a chemical messenger inside cells called cGMP, helping improve blood flow. cGMP does more than regulate blood vessels; it helps activate muscle stem cells involved in repairing damaged tissue.

In a recent study published in Molecular Biology Reports, researchers wanted to see if giving tadalafil directly to muscle cells over an extended period could help them multiply faster, survive stress and remain in a prime state to repair muscle damage.

The researchers grew muscle cells in petri dishes and ran a series of controlled experiments to observe how long-term exposure to 1 µM tadalafil for up to seven days alters cell growth, survival and genetic activity.

Tadalafil-treated cultures had more living mouse muscle precursor cells and fewer dead cells than untreated cultures. Even after seven days, fewer muscle cells in the drug group merged together to form mature muscle fibers. Rather than triggering immediate muscle-fiber growth, tadalafil fueled the expansion of precursor cells while holding back their maturation.

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