One of the unhealthy effects of blood doping is to:

• A. Lower hematocrit to improve blood flow and reduce cardiac workload
• B. Increase blood viscosity, raising the risk of hypertension, thrombosis, and stroke
• C. Decrease the number of erythrocytes, reducing oxygen delivery to tissues
• D. Prevent clot formation by significantly reducing platelet count

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of blood doping: it involves increasing the number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues, which can improve athletic performance.
2. Recognize that increasing red blood cells raises hematocrit, which is the percentage of red blood cells in the blood, rather than lowering it.
3. Recall that a higher hematocrit increases blood viscosity (thickness), making the blood flow more sluggish and increasing the workload on the heart.
4. Connect the increased blood viscosity to potential health risks such as hypertension (high blood pressure), thrombosis (blood clots), and stroke due to impaired blood flow and clot formation.
5. Eliminate incorrect options by noting that blood doping does not decrease erythrocytes or platelet count, nor does it prevent clot formation; instead, it increases erythrocytes and the risk of clotting.