Low fat or low carb? It’s a debate that’s been rampant in the fitness community for decades. Now, a pair of identical twins have given fascinating insight into which is best when it comes to performance. Ross and Hugo Turner, 36, both ate three meals a day and two snacks, which was the equivalent of around 3,500 calories in total. They spent 12 weeks doing similar workout sessions, which involved a mixture of cardio and strength training. Hugo followed a high-fat, low-carb diet and began consuming most of his calories in olive oil, butter, nuts, eggs and avocados. Meanwhile, Ross began eating high-carb foods such as pasta and rice and decreased his fat intake. By the end of the 12 weeks, Ross had gained 2.2 pounds of muscle and lost 2 pounds of fat following the high-carb diet. He also lowered his cholesterol and managed to decrease his internal visceral fat — belly fat found deep within the abdominal cavity — from 11.5% to 11.1%. His brother Hugo saw a more mixed picture after his high-fat diet. He gained 6.6 pounds, lost 0.6 pounds of fat, saw no changes in his cholesterol levels, and increased his internal visceral fat from 11.4% to 12.6%. As well as losing more fat, Ross also performed better in cardiovascular tests, while Hugo noted that he performed worse and felt more fatigued. Researchers concluded that, overall, the high-carb diet came out on top.
