There are two ways in which an athlete can maximize his performance on the field— by improving his physical stamina or by improving his mental stamina. Research has clearly shown that physical stamina is much more important than mental stamina in boosting an athlete’s performance. Thus, if an athlete is working at improving his physical stamina, he is doing the most he can to maximize his performance on the field.
Which of the following most strengthens the above argument?
(A) According to another research, when athletes with comparable levels of mental stamina compete on the field, the one with the higher physical stamina invariably comes out the winner. -
This means that if an athlete doesn't have mental stamina comparable to that of another athlete then he/she will loose, making mental stamina an important factor. This weakens the argument.(B) A combination of physical and mental stamina cannot boost the performance of the athlete any more than than physical stamina can by itself. -
Correct. If physical stamina alone can boost performance more than combined physical & mental stamina can, then working on physical fitness alone will be more fruitful.(C) Critics of the researchers mentioned in the argument claim that these researchers considerably overestimate the importance of physical stamina in maximizing the performance of an athlete. -
This would weaken the argument.(D) There are other aspects, apart from stamina, that also play a significant role in maximizing the performance of an athlete on the field. -
This would weaken the argument, since argument states that working on physical stamina is the most that an athlete can do.(E) If an athlete focuses more on developing his mental rather than physical stamina, he is likely to perform poorly on the field. -
Maybe that athlete has already reached highest level of mental stamina that one can attain. This option may or may not strengthen the argument, thus can't be the answer.