Final answer:
Blood doping improves the body's ability to carry oxygen by injecting additional red blood cells into the body, which deliver more oxygen to the tissues. This can enhance endurance and improve performance in sports that require sustained physical exertion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood doping is a practice where athletes inject additional red blood cells (RBCs) into their bodies through transfusions, typically to enhance their performance in sports. The extra RBCs deliver more oxygen to the tissues, improving the body's ability to carry oxygen, which is referred to as VO₂ max.
The increase in RBCs allows for more oxygen to be available to the muscles during aerobic respiration. This can improve endurance and overall performance in activities that require sustained physical exertion.
It's important to note that blood doping is considered illegal in most sports due to the potential risks and unfair advantage it can provide to athletes.