London, June 29 (ANI): Captain Scott and his team to the South Pole died because their diet was like a slimming plan, researchers have claimed.

Their Antarctic rations had more protein than fat, meaning they didn't take in enough calories, the Sun reported.

The team were using up more energy than Olympic athletes, expending 7,000 calories a day hauling sledges hundreds of miles across the snow.

But they were taking in just 4,400 calories through biscuits, fat-and-protein mix pemmican, butter, sugar, chocolate, cereals, raisins and some pony meat.

Their diet was 24 percent fat and 29 percent protein.

Explorers today eat up to 57 percent fat and just 8 percent protein.

Almost certainly Scott's death was due to chronic and extreme emaciation, Dr Lewis Halsey of the University of Roehampton in London said. (ANI)