Question

Which of the following is NOT a reason for using the athlete biological passport approach to identify competitors that may be using performance enhancing drugs?

a. With the biological passport, an athlete serves as their own control or point of comparison.
b. The biological passport approach focuses on a single, validated biomarkers for blood doping.
c. Hematological, steroid profiles, and endocrinological markers are used to gauge potential misbehavior.
d. The upward/downward trend in an athlete's biomarker profile is indicative of misbehavior.

Answer 1

The incorrect reason for using the athlete biological passport is that it focuses on a single, validated biomarker for blood doping; in reality, it utilizes multiple biomarkers to detect doping.

Step-by-step explanation:

The athlete biological passport is an innovative method for monitoring athletes to detect the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports. It operates under the premise that each athlete will serve as their own control for monitoring changes over time, rather than comparing their biomarker levels to a population norm or fixed thresholds. This approach involves the evaluation of an athlete's longitudinal biological profile through hematological (blood) and endocrinological (hormone) markers, which can reveal the effects of doping rather than trying to detect the substances themselves.

The option that is NOT a reason for using the biological passport approach would be "The biological passport approach focuses on a single, validated biomarker for blood doping", as the biological passport actually involves multiple biomarkers to identify any abnormal variations in an athlete's biochemistry that might indicate doping. Options (a), (c), and (d) correctly reflect the purpose and methodology of the biological passport strategy.