A pair of identical twins, famous for testing health trends on their own bodies, have finally settled the debate on whether a high-fat or high-carb diet is better.
Hugo and Ross Turner, both 36, have gained a reputation as human guinea pigs, undergoing various lifestyle and fitness experiments for science.
The brothers have previously climbed Europe’s highest mountain in different clothing to study the effects of high-altitude conditions, tested whether shorter or longer workouts are more effective, and even compared vegan and omnivorous diets.
It’s safe to say their title of ‘Adventure Guinea Pigs’ is well-earned.
For their latest experiment, the twins set out to explore how diet impacts health, this time by comparing high-fat and high-carb eating plans.
In an interview with Business Insider, they explained that Ross added 500 extra calories of carbs to his diet, while Hugo did the same with fats. Aside from this key difference, the rest of their meals remained largely the same.
The brothers followed similar workout routines throughout the experiment to determine whether a higher intake of fats or carbs was more beneficial.
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So, which diet is actually better for our bodies?
It turns out that the long-standing criticism of carbs may not be entirely justified.
Scientists at the University of Loughborough, who monitored the twins, noted that the experiment wasn’t large enough to draw definitive conclusions about whether one diet is superior to the other.
However, there were noticeable differences in how each brother felt by the end of the 12 weeks.
The results showed that Hugo, who followed the high-fat diet, consuming foods like olive oil, butter, nuts, eggs, and avocado, gained more muscle. However, he also reported feeling more fatigued throughout the process.
“I just never felt good,” Hugo admitted. “I was eating at least six times a day and never felt full or satisfied, so I was constantly hungry.”
On the other hand, Ross experienced less muscle growth but lost body fat and performed better on physical tests. He found his meals more filling but also craved higher-fat foods.
So, what does this mean for the rest of us who just want to improve our health without access to lab-run experiments? According to the scientists behind the study, the key takeaway is simple: maintaining a balanced and varied diet is what truly matters.
But you probably knew that already.
