Protein power: simple drinks may boost recovery after injury
NCT ID NCT06521086
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether giving older trauma patients extra protein drinks (up to 3 times a day in the hospital and for 4 weeks after discharge) helps them regain muscle and function better than standard nutrition. Sixty adults aged 45 and older who can eat by mouth will be randomly assigned to get the supplements or usual care. Researchers will measure muscle mass, body composition, and physical abilities like walking speed.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fresubin KCAL Drinks (nutrition supplement)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that adding protein drinks during and after a hospital stay helps older trauma patients regain muscle and strength faster.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 60 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The supplement may not improve recovery more than standard care.
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 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
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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45 years and older
- 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: * Patients who are at least 45 years old and presented to the Emergency Department as a leveled trauma * Patients who have the ability to tolerate oral nutrition * Patients who have had a standard of care CT scan this admission Exclusion Criteria: * Expected withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment within 48 hours * Traumatic Brain Injury * Presence of lower extremity fracture(s) * Mechanical Ventilation * Subjects for who the Investigator would recommend a different supplement based on their medical condition. * Prisoner * Pregnancy for women of child-bearing potential
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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 and phone numbers. 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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Duke University Hospital
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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