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Nutritionist: The new energy bar, PowerBite, consists of 25% pure whey protein, whereas our current best-selling bar, MaxEnergy, consists of only 15% whey protein. Since whey protein is the primary driver of muscle recovery after strenuous workouts, athletes looking to maximize their muscle recovery should immediately switch from eating MaxEnergy bars to eating PowerBite bars.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the nutritionist's argument?

  1. A
    Athletes who consume energy bars regularly are generally more likely to stick to a strict workout schedule than those who do not.
  2. B
    PowerBite bars are significantly more expensive to manufacture and purchase than MaxEnergy bars.
  3. C
    PowerBite uses a highly refined grade of whey protein that is more efficiently utilized by the human body than the protein used in MaxEnergy.
  4. A single MaxEnergy bar weighs three times as much as a single PowerBite bar.Answer
  5. E
    Independent laboratory tests recently revealed that PowerBite actually consists of only 14% pure whey protein.

Answer

The option stating that a single MaxEnergy bar weighs three times as much as a single PowerBite bar.
The nutritionist's argument relies on a classic 'percentage versus amount' flaw. The argument assumes that because PowerBite has a higher concentration of protein (25% compared to 15%), it will deliver more total protein to the athlete. However, if a MaxEnergy bar is three times larger than a PowerBite bar, an athlete eating one MaxEnergy bar will consume significantly more total whey protein than they would by eating one PowerBite bar. Because switching to PowerBite would actually decrease their total protein intake, this fact completely undermines the conclusion that switching will maximize recovery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main conclusion of the argument.
Athletes looking to maximize muscle recovery should switch from MaxEnergy to PowerBite.
This is the ultimate recommendation the nutritionist is trying to prove.
2
Identify the premises supporting this conclusion.
PowerBite is 25% protein, MaxEnergy is 15% protein, and protein drives muscle recovery.
These are the facts provided to justify the recommendation.
3
Find the logical gap between the premises and the conclusion.
The nutritionist confuses a proportion (percentage of protein) with an absolute quantity (total grams of protein).
A higher percentage does not guarantee a higher total amount if the overall sizes of the items being compared are different.
4
Select the option that exploits this logical gap.
The option stating MaxEnergy weighs three times as much directly addresses this gap.
If MaxEnergy is three times larger, 15% of its large weight provides more total protein than 25% of PowerBite's small weight, proving athletes would actually get less protein by switching.

Key Concept

Differentiating between proportions/percentages and absolute quantities in arguments.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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