Can high-protein diets help older adults lose weight without losing muscle?
NCT ID NCT07446907
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests different weight-loss strategies for adults aged 50 to 75 with obesity. Participants will follow either a high-protein or standard-protein diet for 16 weeks. Those who don't respond well may then receive extra protein supplements or resistance exercise training. The goal is to find the best way to lose weight while preserving muscle mass. The trial plans to enroll 250 people and will track weight and body composition over a year.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High protein diet counseling, standard protein diet counseling, protein supplement
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a practical, adaptive weight-loss strategy that helps older adults keep muscle while losing fat.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage behavioral trial with no drug involved, so results may be modest. The study hasn't started recruiting yet, and outcomes depend on participants sticking with the diet and exercise plans.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female sex * all racial and ethnic groups * BMI: 30-50 kg/m2 * age 50-75 years * postmenopausal status for ≥1 y if female sex Exclusion Criteria: * \<3 months stable use of other medications affecting body weight or appetite * \>450 pounds (due to weight limitations of the DXA) * indication or previous diagnosis of sarcopenia * existing kidney disease * current binge eating disorder, anorexia, or bulimia * untreated hyper- or hypothyroidism, cancer (except basal cell), gastrointestinal disorders affecting food intake or nutrient absorption; any other medical condition, as determined by the study physician, precluding a HP diet and/or daily exercise
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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