Welsh, Davis, Burke, and Williams (2002) conducted a study to evaluate the
effectiveness of a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink on sports performance and
endurance. Experienced athletes were given either a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink or
a placebo while they were tested on a series of high-intensity exercises. One measure
was how much time it took for the athletes to run to fatigue. Data similar to the
results obtained in the study are shown in the following table.
Time to run to fatigue (in minutes)
Mean SE
Placebo------------21.7 2.2
Carbohydrate-electrolyte--------2.28 2.7
a) Construct a bar graph that incorporates all of the information in the table.
b) Looking at your graph, do you think the carbohydrate-electrolyte drink helps
performance?
I have no idea where or how to approach this. Please Help.
We have no capability to construct a bar graph on the message board.
To answer this question, we need to create a bar graph to visually represent the data provided. A bar graph is a useful tool to compare different categories or groups.
Here are the steps to construct the bar graph:
Step 1: Set up the X and Y-axis:
- The X-axis (horizontal axis) represents the different groups, which in this case are the placebo and carbohydrate-electrolyte drink.
- The Y-axis (vertical axis) represents the time to run to fatigue in minutes.
Step 2: Label the axes:
- Label the X-axis as "Treatment Group" or "Drink Type."
- Label the Y-axis as "Time to run to fatigue (minutes)."
Step 3: Create the bars:
- Draw two vertical bars, one for each group. The height of each bar represents the mean time to run to fatigue for that group.
- Label each bar with the corresponding mean value.
Step 4: Add error bars:
- The standard error (SE) is provided for each mean value. This indicates the degree of uncertainty or variability in the data.
- Add error bars to each bar, extending above and below the mean value. The length of the error bars should be equal to two times the SE value.
Step 5: Analyze the graph:
- Examine the heights of the bars and the overlap of the error bars.
Now, let's interpret the graph to answer the question:
If the bar for the carbohydrate-electrolyte group is visibly higher than the bar for the placebo group, it suggests that the athletes who consumed the carbohydrate-electrolyte drink had a longer time to run to fatigue, indicating better performance. On the other hand, if the bars overlap substantially, it suggests that there might not be a significant difference in performance between the two groups.
Remember, the graph is just a visual representation of the data. To make a more definitive conclusion, statistical analysis should be conducted to determine if any observed differences are statistically significant.