Scientists claim to find optimum diet and exercise plan

A team of scientists in Canada has claimed to have created the perfect way for men to quickly build muscle and lose fat, although they admitted it was not a sustainable regime.
The scientists, from McMaster University, in Ontario, carried out a study involving 40 young men, divided into two groups.
The groups followed a low-calorie diet and exercised six days a week, for one month. One group ate more protein than the other group did during the study.
The scientists recorded that the group who ate more protein actually gained approximately 2.5lbs of muscle, despite not consuming enough food. The group who ate less protein did not gain any muscle, but importantly they did not lose any either.
On average, the group who ate more protein lost 10.5lbs of fat, whilst the other group lost approximately 8lbs.
However, despite the promising results, the researchers warned that the regime is both unsustainable for a long period of time, and gruelling for the participants.
Professor Stuart Phillips, a senior investigator on the study, said: “We wanted to see how quickly we could get them into shape: lose some fat, but still retain their muscle and improve their strength and fitness.”
“Exercise, particularly lifting weights, provides a signal for muscle to be retained even when you’re in a big calorie deficit,” he continued.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.