Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Bariatric surgery procedures cause weight loss by restricting stomach size, ultimately leading to the malabsorption of nutrients. Despite this procedure's nature, the demand for bariatric surgery has increased 4-fold over the past 7 years in Canada, and it is alarming that current post-surgical nutritional recommendations are based on little to no research. In specific, evidence linked to protein intake is limited and is of concern, as protein plays a functional role in preserving fat-free mass, responsible for weight management, muscle function, and quality of life. Therefore, the proposed study will fill this gap by assessing post-surgical changes in protein intake/status and its effects on weight, body composition, energy metabolism, and muscle function. This study will follow a longitudinal, observational study design with an embedded qualitative approach. Fifty participants 18-50 years old will be recruited from the McGill University's Health Centre bariatric surgery clinic. Participants will be assessed pre-, 3-, and 6 months after surgery for weight, dietary intake, muscle function, body composition, energy expenditure, 24-h urine and blood parameters. In addition, 4 focus groups of 6-8 participants will be conducted at ≥ 3 months post-surgery.