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14 Sep 2025, 08:57
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Difficulty:
95%
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Question Stats:
27% (02:00) correct
73%
(01:51)
wrong
based on 150
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A study of marathon runners found that those who consistently ate a high-protein diet were far more likely to complete races in under 3 hours compared to runners who consumed less protein. Researchers concluded that a high-protein diet significantly improves marathon performance.
However, critics argue that this conclusion is flawed. Runners who are capable of finishing marathons in under 3 hours are usually highly disciplined in both their training and their lifestyle choices. It is this discipline—not the protein intake—that primarily explains their superior performance.
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the critics’ objection to the researchers’ conclusion?
A. Many runners who consumed a high-protein diet but trained irregularly rarely achieved sub-3-hour finishes.
B. Elite runners who follow a balanced diet often outperform high-protein runners in international competitions.
C. Coaches are more likely to recommend high-protein diets to athletes who already demonstrate exceptional discipline and commitment.
D. Runners on high-protein diets reported fewer injuries than runners on other diets.
E. The average finishing time for runners who ate high-protein diets but trained casually was about the same as that for non–high-protein runners.
However, critics argue that this conclusion is flawed. Runners who are capable of finishing marathons in under 3 hours are usually highly disciplined in both their training and their lifestyle choices. It is this discipline—not the protein intake—that primarily explains their superior performance.
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the critics’ objection to the researchers’ conclusion?
A. Many runners who consumed a high-protein diet but trained irregularly rarely achieved sub-3-hour finishes.
B. Elite runners who follow a balanced diet often outperform high-protein runners in international competitions.
C. Coaches are more likely to recommend high-protein diets to athletes who already demonstrate exceptional discipline and commitment.
D. Runners on high-protein diets reported fewer injuries than runners on other diets.
E. The average finishing time for runners who ate high-protein diets but trained casually was about the same as that for non–high-protein runners.
14 Sep 2025, 21:16
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Rashie1
The correct answer is C because it directly addresses the critics' argument that a third variable, "discipline," is the real reason for the observed correlation.
- Option C: "Coaches are more likely to recommend high-protein diets to athletes who already demonstrate exceptional discipline and commitment." This choice introduces a causal link that strengthens the critics' case. It suggests that the most disciplined runners (the third variable) are pre-selected for the high-protein diet. This means the high performance is likely due to the discipline they already possess, not the diet itself. This is a classic example of "reverse causality" or a "common cause" fallacy, where the apparent cause (high-protein diet) and the effect (fast times) are both caused by a third factor (discipline).
- Option A: "Many runners who consumed a high-protein diet but trained irregularly rarely achieved sub-3-hour finishes." While this statement supports the importance of training, it doesn't strengthen the specific "discipline" argument as much as C. It shows that diet alone is not sufficient, but it doesn't establish the pre-existing link between discipline and diet that C does.
- Option E: "The average finishing time for runners who ate high-protein diets but trained casually was about the same as that for non–high-protein runners." This is similar to A. It shows that diet doesn't help casual runners, but it doesn't directly support the critics' claim that the most disciplined runners were the ones who were already on the high-protein diet. C provides a stronger, more direct mechanism for the critics' argument.
02 Oct 2025, 03:43
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A. Many runners who consumed a high-protein diet but trained irregularly rarely achieved sub-3-hour finishes.
– This actually suggests training discipline matters more than diet, which weakens the researchers’ conclusion, but it doesn’t directly show *why* high-protein eaters in the study tended to be fast. It’s not as strong as C.
B. Elite runners who follow a balanced diet often outperform high-protein runners in international competitions.
– This talks about elite competition, but the study was about *marathon runners in general*. Different context → not directly relevant.
C. Coaches are more likely to recommend high-protein diets to athletes who already demonstrate exceptional discipline and commitment.
– This is strongest because it shows the real cause (discipline) is confounded with diet. It explains why the fast group coincided with high-protein intake.
D. Runners on high-protein diets reported fewer injuries than runners on other diets.
– Injury reduction may be a benefit, but it doesn’t explain performance times or challenge the cause-effect assumption.
E. The average finishing time for runners who ate high-protein diets but trained casually was about the same as that for non–high-protein runners.
– Similar to A, it hints that training matters more than diet, but again doesn’t explain the *selection bias* (why fast runners in the study tended to be high-protein eaters).
Correct Answer = C
It best explains the flaw in the researchers’ conclusion by showing that diet was correlated with discipline, not causing the better performance.
– This actually suggests training discipline matters more than diet, which weakens the researchers’ conclusion, but it doesn’t directly show *why* high-protein eaters in the study tended to be fast. It’s not as strong as C.
B. Elite runners who follow a balanced diet often outperform high-protein runners in international competitions.
– This talks about elite competition, but the study was about *marathon runners in general*. Different context → not directly relevant.
C. Coaches are more likely to recommend high-protein diets to athletes who already demonstrate exceptional discipline and commitment.
– This is strongest because it shows the real cause (discipline) is confounded with diet. It explains why the fast group coincided with high-protein intake.
D. Runners on high-protein diets reported fewer injuries than runners on other diets.
– Injury reduction may be a benefit, but it doesn’t explain performance times or challenge the cause-effect assumption.
E. The average finishing time for runners who ate high-protein diets but trained casually was about the same as that for non–high-protein runners.
– Similar to A, it hints that training matters more than diet, but again doesn’t explain the *selection bias* (why fast runners in the study tended to be high-protein eaters).
Correct Answer = C
It best explains the flaw in the researchers’ conclusion by showing that diet was correlated with discipline, not causing the better performance.
