The effect of protein supplementation on body muscle mass and fat mass in post-bariatric surgery: a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study protocol.

One major strength of our study is that our population is a distinctive population (Qatari Obese patients) where results from international studies may not apply to the local and unique context. A local study like ours will provide healthcare providers in Qatar an opportunity to ensure good clinical practice and healthy and sustainable weight loss following bariatric surgery.The well-designed double-blinded RCT will almost certainly provide us with the evidence-based clinical practice guideline that we seek as health professionals.One limitation of our study is the slight discrepancy in caloric content of the intervention and the placebo (250 cal and 100 cal, respectively). However, it is the intervention that has the higher caloric content, in which case it may not influence the results in the direction of our hypothesis that protein supplementation leads to lower fat mass and higher muscle mass.Another limitation is that the use of the intervention and the placebo are not objectively measured. However, all efforts will be made to ensure compliance and reporting of consumption of products.A third limitation could be loss to follow up. Participants may cease to participate, particularly, once they have lost "sufficient' weight and gained the fitness to consume any type of foods they desire. This is common in late stages of post-bariatric surgery (beyond 3 months). We feel that this may be a challenge, particularly in reference to our specific population. However, such findings albeit negative, should serve in improving the clinical practice delivered by healthcare providers.