Question

Medical studies indicate that the metabolic rates of professional athletes substantially greater than those of the average person. So, most likely, a person’s speed and strength are primarily determined by that person’s metabolic rate.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

Options

• Some professional athletes are either faster or stronger than the average person

• Some professional athletes do not have higher metabolic rates than some people who are not professional athletes

• The speed and strength of people who are not professional athletes are not primarily determined by choices of diet and exercise

• Drugs that suppress metabolic rates have been shown to have the side-effect of diminishing the speed and strength of those who are not professional athletes

Answer 1

Drugs that suppress metabolic rates have been shown to have the side-effect of diminishing the speed and strength of those who are not professional athletes

Explanation:

The argument is something like this – the metabolic rates of professional athletes are found to be substantially higher than that of ordinary people.  So, author concludes that a person’s speed and strength are primarily determined by his metabolic rate. This argument is best augmented in 'Drugs that suppress metabolic rates have been shown to have the side-effect of diminishing the speed and strength of those who are not professional athletes'.