Blood: Composition and Its Role in Sporting Performance

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• red blood cells contain haemoglobin, which binds to oxygen1 mark
• (linked) transporting oxygen to the working leg muscles to fuel aerobic respiration throughout the race1 mark
• plasma transports carbon dioxide and lactic acid away from the working muscles1 mark
• (linked) helping to delay fatigue by removing waste products that would otherwise build up1 mark
• plasma also carries heat from the working muscles to the skin, helping to regulate body temperature and prevent overheating over the duration of the race1 mark

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• Thorough, accurate coverage of multiple roles of blood, oxygen transport, waste removal, thermoregulation, applied across the three disciplines, linked to a training adaptation, with a balanced judgement.1 mark
• Good understanding, mostly accurate, but may not fully apply across all three disciplines or lack full evaluation.1 mark
• Basic or generic points, little application to the triathlon.1 mark
• no creditworthy content.1 mark
• red blood cells and haemoglobin transport oxygen to the working muscles across all three disciplines, supplying the aerobic system that dominates over the typically long duration of a triathlon.1 mark
• Plasma removes carbon dioxide and lactic acid from the muscles, which matters especially during faster sections such as a hard transition or a hill on the cycle leg, where anaerobic energy systems contribute more.1 mark
• Plasma also transports heat to the skin, helping to regulate body temperature, which matters across a long event, particularly on the run leg once the cooling effect of the water and wind from the swim and cycle has gone.1 mark
• Training adaptation: endurance training over months increases total blood volume and the number of red blood cells, increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.1 mark
• Judgement: this adaptation would most improve performance in the aerobic-dominant middle portion of the race, most of the cycle and run, where sustained oxygen delivery, rather than short bursts of anaerobic power, most limits performance, so an increased oxygen-carrying capacity has a direct and significant effect on a triathlete's overall time.1 mark

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