What does blood doping involve?

Blood doping involves injecting extra red blood cells into the bloodstream to enhance performance. This practice is aimed at increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, allowing the body to deliver more oxygen to muscles during intense exercise. When athletes have more red blood cells, their cardiovascular system can function more efficiently, improving endurance and overall athletic performance. This is particularly beneficial in endurance sports, where oxygen is crucial for sustained activity.

The other choices present alternatives that do not accurately describe blood doping. Reducing blood volume doesn't promote performance enhancement; rather, it would likely have the opposite effect. Taking supplements to improve oxygen uptake refers to strategies that might improve the efficiency of oxygen use but does not involve the direct manipulation of red blood cells. Increasing fats in the bloodstream is unrelated to blood doping and would not enhance oxygen delivery or performance in the same way. Thus, injecting extra red blood cells accurately defines the practice of blood doping.