Question

In 1978, the US Olympic Committee was planning to create a permanent training center for US Olympic athletes. The committee narrowed its choices to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both locations had large, inexpensive facilities that could be transformed into athletic training centers. Eventually, the committee settled on Colorado Springs, partly because of its high altitude. Scientific studies have shown that the lower oxygen levels at high altitudes help athletes develop more red blood cells. This helps athletes become stronger competitors in their chosen sports.


How would having more red blood cells help athletes' body systems work together to become more successful in sports?


A:The circulatory system would be able to carry more oxygen to the muscular system, increasing athletic performance.


B:The digestive system would be able to deliver more nutrients quickly from the respiratory system to increase athletic endurance.


C:The respiratory system would become larger and stronger, holding more oxygen that could be delivered to the circulatory system.


D:The immune system would benefit from the circulatory system carrying more antibodies to repair damage to the muscles from overuse.

Answer 1

The correct answer for the question is option A : The circulatory system would be able to carry more oxygen to the muscular system, increasing athletic performance.

More red blood cells would be beneficial to athletes because:

• Increasing red blood cell count in the circulatory system improves blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
• The muscular system will benefit from increased oxygen transport efficiency, which will improve his performance.
• Because the athlete's training will take place at a greater elevation, oxygen availability will be limited.
• As a result of the increased red blood cell count at such a high altitude, an athlete's performance will not be damaged.

Answer 2

Having more red blood cells help athletes' body systems work together to become more successful in sports

Explanation:  

• The function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the lungs into the body's tissues and carbon dioxide out of the tissues and reach back to the lungs.

• Red blood cells contain hemoglobin that transports oxygen from our lungs to all organs of our body.

• Since the air at higher altitudes is thinner, there is less oxygen in it. Therefore when an athlete trains at higher altitudes, they must produce more red blood cells to carry more oxygen. To perform intense physical activity, an athlete needs a healthy cardiovascular system.

• When oxygen concentrations are low at altitude, EPO is stimulated. EPO is a peptide hormone produced by the body naturally. It usually gets released from the kidneys and acting on the bone marrow by stimulating more red blood cells.
• EPO results in the stimulation of red blood cells. More RBCs have more hemoglobin. Since hemoglobin carries oxygen, more oxygen is transported to muscle cells.
• So, athletes can perform well in their chosen sports.