PMT
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 GCE
Biology A
(Salters-Nuffield)
Advanced
Paper 3 - Pre-release material
Sample Assessment Material for first teaching September 2015 Paper Reference
9BN0/03
Do not return the Insert with the question paper.
Turn over
S47565A
©2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
1/1/1/
!"#$%&%'!
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) !"!
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
, PMT
Cheaters – drug abuse in sport
1 Lance Armstrong was a driven athlete, an American road racing cyclist who won a record number
of races. The Tour de France is considered to be one of the toughest races, which Armstrong won
a record seven consecutive times. However his career was dogged with speculation about doping
– taking banned performance‐enhancing substances. Although Armstrong strongly denied
allegations of doping for many years, he finally admitted – in a televised interview with Oprah
Winfrey in 2013 – that a deep flaw in his character, which he described as his “ruthless desire to win”,
led him to take banned substances throughout his career. He admitted to taking the hormones
cortisone, testosterone and erythropoietin (EPO), and also to conducting blood transfusions to
boost his oxygen levels. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) had formally presented
evidence against Armstrong in 2012, including laboratory test results and evidence of financial
payments. The Chief Executive of the USADA said at the time that this was, “the most sophisticated,
professionalised and successful doping programme that the sport had ever seen.” The Union
Cycliste Internationale (UCI) subsequently disqualified Armstrong from all of his Tour de France
races, stripping him of the titles and banning him from cycle road racing for life.
2 The media loved this Armstrong story; and sport is filled with similar stories about athletes
prepared to use banned substances in their drive to win. George Mitchell named 89 Major
League Baseball players in a report released in 2007 and based on 20 months of investigation into
performance-enhancing drug use amongst players. “The illegal use of performance-enhancing
substances poses a serious threat to the integrity of the game,” the Mitchell Report said, and added,
“Widespread use by players of such substances unfairly disadvantages the honest athletes who
refuse to use them and raises questions about the validity of baseball records”. So why do some
athletes take banned substances? The risks are high: discovery often results in suspension from the
sport we are led to believe they love, which can be career-damaging in itself. But it can be worse –
Armstrong has had talks with US Justice Department officials about returning a proportion of the
estimated US$40 million in sponsorship funding that his cycling team received. Some athletes have
been jailed and others have died prematurely from conditions and complications associated with
taking banned substances.
3 It’s a cat and mouse game that the media are always keen to play. A game that’s complex with high
stakes and while the tests become ever more sensitive, the cheaters are always one-step ahead.
Athletes understand the rewards of training hard and the elation of standing on the top of the
podium. Depending on their discipline, athletes’ main aim is to build muscle mass, strength and
endurance and to increase the delivery (speed and amount) of oxygen to the working muscles.
Training can achieve this for them, but the use of drugs can boost performance further. Additionally,
they may also use drugs to mask pain, stimulate the body, relax, lose weight and of course, hide the
use of other drugs. This article will look at the substances and techniques used by athletes, how
drugs can affect the body, including side-effects, and how those responsible for testing are trying
to keep up with the game, whilst always being at least one step behind.
2
!"" S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield)
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
, PMT
Muscle mass and strength
4 Hypertrophy is the increase in size of an organ due to an increase in size of its component cells, rather
than an increase in the total number of cells in the organ. Muscular hypertrophy is an increase in the
cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibres, due to an increase in contractile proteins. Muscles
adapt in this way when subject to increasing workloads during training sessions. Heart muscle can
be developed through training, so that the heart can pump more efficiently, pushing out a greater
volume of blood from its chambers with every pump and pumping more quickly. Skeletal muscle
can also be developed through training by working faster and for longer periods. This is the aim
of the athlete – to increase their strength and speed. Working faster – and for longer – is limited
by the time it takes to move oxygenated blood from the heart to the exercising tissues, and so it is
this process that is often targeted through drug use. If the speed of movement of oxygen from the
heart to where it is needed can be increased, then athletes will be able to work harder over a longer
time.
5 Athletes often use performance-enhancing drugs that are naturally-occurring molecules in the
body, such as hormones. Taking more of these naturally-occurring substances will increase their
effect. Although it is difficult to detect a substance that is found in humans naturally, increasing
the levels of substances in the body can cause a range of side-effects, which can range from hardly
noticeable effects to adverse or serious ones, and even death.
6 Hormone-related substances used by athletes to build mass and strength include:
• Anabolic steroids
• Beta-2 agonists
• Human growth hormones:
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t )VNBOHSPXUIIPSNPOF )()
t *OTVMJOMJLFHSPXUIGBDUPS *('
t *OTVMJO
Anabolic steroids
7 Anabolic steroids build muscle and bone mass, as opposed to catabolic steroids, which break
down tissues. Anabolic steroids work primarily by stimulating the muscle and bone cells to make
new protein, thereby increasing muscle mass and also decreasing fat. This allows the athlete to train
harder and for longer. They are manufactured drugs that mimic the effects of the male hormone
testosterone, enhancing male reproductive and secondary sexual characteristics.
8 Anabolic steroids are usually injected into the muscle and often a ‘cycling’ method is used in order
to avoid the undesirable side effects. ‘Cycling’ means that athletes inject the steroids for a period of
time and then stop for a rest period, before starting, often synchronising the rest periods with when
they are expecting to be tested, so that the tests do not detect the increased levels of the drugs.
3
S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) !"#
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728 Turn over
, PMT
9 Some athletes use additional steroids simultaneously, in the belief that this increases the
effectiveness. This method is known as ‘stacking’. Some athletes combine cycling and stacking
methods, this is known as ‘pyramiding’. The drug dosage is gradually increased over a period of
weeks and then slowly reduced again to nothing, to allow the body a rest period, before repeating.
The idea is to train harder whilst taking the drugs to maximise their effects.
10 The unwanted physiological side effects of steroid use include heart attack or stroke; tumours
on liver and kidney; high blood pressure (hypertension); blood clots; fluid retention and high
cholesterol. In addition, in men the following effects have been seen: reduced sperm count;
infertility; shrunken testicles; baldness and breast development. In women it causes a range of
male features, including hair growth on face and body; reduction of breasts; deepening of voice and
menstrual problems. In addition, both men and women have experienced the psychological effects
of aggressive behaviour, mood swings, manic behaviour, hallucinations and delusions.
11 Anabolic steroids are addictive – athletes may experience cravings. Habitual users will require more
and more of the drug to achieve the same effect and if use is suddenly stopped, they will experience
withdrawal symptoms, which may include depression and apathy; feelings of anxiety; difficulty
concentrating; insomnia; anorexia; decreased sex drive; fatigue (extreme tiredness); headaches;
muscle and joint pain. An addict will keep using a drug, despite its side effects.
12 Many people take anabolic steroids in the misguided belief that it will help them become fit and
healthy. Adolescent boys and young men often take steroids when they consider their body not
to be sufficiently big or strong. Steroid misuse is widespread in many sporting areas. Bodybuilders
take them to increase bulk and strength and athletes are under even more pressure to perform,
especially those requiring strength and endurance, such as weightlifters.
Beta-2 agonists
13 Beta-2 agonists mimic the action of adrenaline and noradrenaline that are secreted by the
sympathetic nerves. They are inhaled by asthma patients to relax the smooth muscle in the airways.
Asthma is chronic inflammation of the airway. It is an over-reaction to external stimuli, such as dust
and pollution and can lead to bronchoconstriction. There is a genetic element to asthma and it is
one of the most common chronic disorders, found in about 5% of the adult population. However,
it is more common amongst athletes, found in around 10–20% of the population. This may be
due, for winter sports athletes, to inhaling cold, dry air; and in the case of swimmers, where it is
particularly prevalent, of training in chlorinated atmospheres. Additionally, asthmatic symptoms
may be triggered by acute physical exercise, which is described as ‘exercise induced asthma’ (EIA).
14 If something is described as being ‘ergogenic’, it is intended to enhance physical performance,
stamina, or recovery. In 2006, Kindermann and Meyer published the results of a review that they
had carried out and concluded that “there is no ergogenic potential of inhaled beta-2 agonists in
non-asthmatic athletes” and went on to recommend that “the inclusion of inhaled beta-2 agonists
on the list of prohibited substances should be reconsidered”.
15 The USADA Prohibited List for 2014 specifically bans all oral beta-2 agonists. It allows the use of
three inhaled beta-2 agonists, but states the exact dosing that must not be exceeded. If these doses
are to be exceeded then written medical consent is required, as it is for other beta-2 agonists for
therapeutic use.
4
!"$ S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield)
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 GCE
Biology A
(Salters-Nuffield)
Advanced
Paper 3 - Pre-release material
Sample Assessment Material for first teaching September 2015 Paper Reference
9BN0/03
Do not return the Insert with the question paper.
Turn over
S47565A
©2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
1/1/1/
!"#$%&%'!
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) !"!
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
, PMT
Cheaters – drug abuse in sport
1 Lance Armstrong was a driven athlete, an American road racing cyclist who won a record number
of races. The Tour de France is considered to be one of the toughest races, which Armstrong won
a record seven consecutive times. However his career was dogged with speculation about doping
– taking banned performance‐enhancing substances. Although Armstrong strongly denied
allegations of doping for many years, he finally admitted – in a televised interview with Oprah
Winfrey in 2013 – that a deep flaw in his character, which he described as his “ruthless desire to win”,
led him to take banned substances throughout his career. He admitted to taking the hormones
cortisone, testosterone and erythropoietin (EPO), and also to conducting blood transfusions to
boost his oxygen levels. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) had formally presented
evidence against Armstrong in 2012, including laboratory test results and evidence of financial
payments. The Chief Executive of the USADA said at the time that this was, “the most sophisticated,
professionalised and successful doping programme that the sport had ever seen.” The Union
Cycliste Internationale (UCI) subsequently disqualified Armstrong from all of his Tour de France
races, stripping him of the titles and banning him from cycle road racing for life.
2 The media loved this Armstrong story; and sport is filled with similar stories about athletes
prepared to use banned substances in their drive to win. George Mitchell named 89 Major
League Baseball players in a report released in 2007 and based on 20 months of investigation into
performance-enhancing drug use amongst players. “The illegal use of performance-enhancing
substances poses a serious threat to the integrity of the game,” the Mitchell Report said, and added,
“Widespread use by players of such substances unfairly disadvantages the honest athletes who
refuse to use them and raises questions about the validity of baseball records”. So why do some
athletes take banned substances? The risks are high: discovery often results in suspension from the
sport we are led to believe they love, which can be career-damaging in itself. But it can be worse –
Armstrong has had talks with US Justice Department officials about returning a proportion of the
estimated US$40 million in sponsorship funding that his cycling team received. Some athletes have
been jailed and others have died prematurely from conditions and complications associated with
taking banned substances.
3 It’s a cat and mouse game that the media are always keen to play. A game that’s complex with high
stakes and while the tests become ever more sensitive, the cheaters are always one-step ahead.
Athletes understand the rewards of training hard and the elation of standing on the top of the
podium. Depending on their discipline, athletes’ main aim is to build muscle mass, strength and
endurance and to increase the delivery (speed and amount) of oxygen to the working muscles.
Training can achieve this for them, but the use of drugs can boost performance further. Additionally,
they may also use drugs to mask pain, stimulate the body, relax, lose weight and of course, hide the
use of other drugs. This article will look at the substances and techniques used by athletes, how
drugs can affect the body, including side-effects, and how those responsible for testing are trying
to keep up with the game, whilst always being at least one step behind.
2
!"" S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield)
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
, PMT
Muscle mass and strength
4 Hypertrophy is the increase in size of an organ due to an increase in size of its component cells, rather
than an increase in the total number of cells in the organ. Muscular hypertrophy is an increase in the
cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibres, due to an increase in contractile proteins. Muscles
adapt in this way when subject to increasing workloads during training sessions. Heart muscle can
be developed through training, so that the heart can pump more efficiently, pushing out a greater
volume of blood from its chambers with every pump and pumping more quickly. Skeletal muscle
can also be developed through training by working faster and for longer periods. This is the aim
of the athlete – to increase their strength and speed. Working faster – and for longer – is limited
by the time it takes to move oxygenated blood from the heart to the exercising tissues, and so it is
this process that is often targeted through drug use. If the speed of movement of oxygen from the
heart to where it is needed can be increased, then athletes will be able to work harder over a longer
time.
5 Athletes often use performance-enhancing drugs that are naturally-occurring molecules in the
body, such as hormones. Taking more of these naturally-occurring substances will increase their
effect. Although it is difficult to detect a substance that is found in humans naturally, increasing
the levels of substances in the body can cause a range of side-effects, which can range from hardly
noticeable effects to adverse or serious ones, and even death.
6 Hormone-related substances used by athletes to build mass and strength include:
• Anabolic steroids
• Beta-2 agonists
• Human growth hormones:
t )VNBODIPSJPOJDHPOBEPUSPQJO )$(
t -VUFJOJ[JOHIPSNPOF -)
t )VNBOHSPXUIIPSNPOF )()
t *OTVMJOMJLFHSPXUIGBDUPS *('
t *OTVMJO
Anabolic steroids
7 Anabolic steroids build muscle and bone mass, as opposed to catabolic steroids, which break
down tissues. Anabolic steroids work primarily by stimulating the muscle and bone cells to make
new protein, thereby increasing muscle mass and also decreasing fat. This allows the athlete to train
harder and for longer. They are manufactured drugs that mimic the effects of the male hormone
testosterone, enhancing male reproductive and secondary sexual characteristics.
8 Anabolic steroids are usually injected into the muscle and often a ‘cycling’ method is used in order
to avoid the undesirable side effects. ‘Cycling’ means that athletes inject the steroids for a period of
time and then stop for a rest period, before starting, often synchronising the rest periods with when
they are expecting to be tested, so that the tests do not detect the increased levels of the drugs.
3
S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) !"#
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728 Turn over
, PMT
9 Some athletes use additional steroids simultaneously, in the belief that this increases the
effectiveness. This method is known as ‘stacking’. Some athletes combine cycling and stacking
methods, this is known as ‘pyramiding’. The drug dosage is gradually increased over a period of
weeks and then slowly reduced again to nothing, to allow the body a rest period, before repeating.
The idea is to train harder whilst taking the drugs to maximise their effects.
10 The unwanted physiological side effects of steroid use include heart attack or stroke; tumours
on liver and kidney; high blood pressure (hypertension); blood clots; fluid retention and high
cholesterol. In addition, in men the following effects have been seen: reduced sperm count;
infertility; shrunken testicles; baldness and breast development. In women it causes a range of
male features, including hair growth on face and body; reduction of breasts; deepening of voice and
menstrual problems. In addition, both men and women have experienced the psychological effects
of aggressive behaviour, mood swings, manic behaviour, hallucinations and delusions.
11 Anabolic steroids are addictive – athletes may experience cravings. Habitual users will require more
and more of the drug to achieve the same effect and if use is suddenly stopped, they will experience
withdrawal symptoms, which may include depression and apathy; feelings of anxiety; difficulty
concentrating; insomnia; anorexia; decreased sex drive; fatigue (extreme tiredness); headaches;
muscle and joint pain. An addict will keep using a drug, despite its side effects.
12 Many people take anabolic steroids in the misguided belief that it will help them become fit and
healthy. Adolescent boys and young men often take steroids when they consider their body not
to be sufficiently big or strong. Steroid misuse is widespread in many sporting areas. Bodybuilders
take them to increase bulk and strength and athletes are under even more pressure to perform,
especially those requiring strength and endurance, such as weightlifters.
Beta-2 agonists
13 Beta-2 agonists mimic the action of adrenaline and noradrenaline that are secreted by the
sympathetic nerves. They are inhaled by asthma patients to relax the smooth muscle in the airways.
Asthma is chronic inflammation of the airway. It is an over-reaction to external stimuli, such as dust
and pollution and can lead to bronchoconstriction. There is a genetic element to asthma and it is
one of the most common chronic disorders, found in about 5% of the adult population. However,
it is more common amongst athletes, found in around 10–20% of the population. This may be
due, for winter sports athletes, to inhaling cold, dry air; and in the case of swimmers, where it is
particularly prevalent, of training in chlorinated atmospheres. Additionally, asthmatic symptoms
may be triggered by acute physical exercise, which is described as ‘exercise induced asthma’ (EIA).
14 If something is described as being ‘ergogenic’, it is intended to enhance physical performance,
stamina, or recovery. In 2006, Kindermann and Meyer published the results of a review that they
had carried out and concluded that “there is no ergogenic potential of inhaled beta-2 agonists in
non-asthmatic athletes” and went on to recommend that “the inclusion of inhaled beta-2 agonists
on the list of prohibited substances should be reconsidered”.
15 The USADA Prohibited List for 2014 specifically bans all oral beta-2 agonists. It allows the use of
three inhaled beta-2 agonists, but states the exact dosing that must not be exceeded. If these doses
are to be exceeded then written medical consent is required, as it is for other beta-2 agonists for
therapeutic use.
4
!"$ S47565A
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield)
!"#$%&'())&))#&*+',"+&-."%)'/'0))1&'2'/'3&4&-'6728'9':&"-);*'<=14"+.;*'>.#.+&='6728
