In healthy volunteers, endurance-athlete carbohydrate gels and drinks reached low-aspiration-risk gastric volumes within clinically meaningful timelines, supporting evaluation for preoperative metabolic support in orthopaedic trauma patients.
Key Findings
Results
After consuming an athletic carbohydrate gel, 94% of healthy volunteers achieved gastric volumes below the low-aspiration-risk threshold of 1.5 mL/kg.
15 out of 16 participants (94%) had gastric volumes < 1.5 mL/kg after gel consumption
Median gastric volume after gel was 0.7 mL/kg (IQR, 0.5 to 1.1)
Participants fasted ≥ 8 hours before baseline gastric ultrasound in the gel phase
No significant difference in gastric volume between Maurten and Precision Fuel & Hydration (PFH) products (mean difference, 0.1 mL/kg; 95% CI -0.2 to 0.4; p = 0.45)
Results
After consuming a 500 mL athletic carbohydrate drink, 88% of healthy volunteers reached low-aspiration-risk gastric volumes within a restricted mean time of 68 minutes.
14 out of 16 participants (88%) reached the primary threshold (gastric volume < 1.5 mL/kg)
Restricted mean time to threshold was 68 minutes (95% CI 49 to 88)
Gastric ultrasounds were performed every 15 minutes for up to 2 hours after drink consumption
The secondary endpoint required both gastric volume < 1.5 mL/kg and clear or empty gastric content
Results
Maurten carbohydrate drink reached the low-aspiration-risk gastric volume threshold 33 minutes faster than Precision Fuel & Hydration (PFH) drink.
Maurten reached the threshold 33 minutes faster than PFH (95% CI 0 to 66; p = 0.05)
This difference was at the boundary of statistical significance (p = 0.05)
Gastric volumes were compared using linear regression and time to threshold used restricted mean time estimation
Both products were tested in the carbohydrate liquid supplementation phase with a 500 mL dose
Methods
The study was designed to establish baseline gastric emptying profiles in healthy volunteers before testing in orthopaedic trauma patients.
Sixteen healthy adults participated and received 1 or 2 products (Maurten or Precision Fuel & Hydration)
The study was motivated by the fact that preoperative carbohydrate drinks are standard for elective surgery but often avoided in orthopaedic trauma surgery due to aspiration risk concerns
Endurance-athlete carbohydrate formulations are specifically engineered for rapid gastric emptying
The primary endpoint was gastric volume < 1.5 mL/kg, defined as low aspiration risk
What This Means
Before surgery, patients are typically given carbohydrate drinks to help their bodies cope with the metabolic stress of an operation — a practice that has been shown to improve recovery outcomes. However, surgeons often avoid giving these drinks to patients undergoing emergency orthopedic surgery (such as after a fracture) because they worry that injury and pain can slow stomach emptying, raising the risk that a patient might inhale stomach contents during anesthesia. This study looked at whether specially formulated carbohydrate products used by endurance athletes — which are designed to empty from the stomach quickly — might offer a safer alternative in this setting.
Researchers tested two commercial athletic carbohydrate products (Maurten and Precision Fuel & Hydration) in 16 healthy adult volunteers, using ultrasound to measure how quickly the stomach emptied after consuming either a gel or a 500 mL drink. They found that after consuming the gel, 94% of participants had stomach volumes below the threshold considered low-risk for aspiration. After drinking the liquid product, 88% of participants reached that same safe threshold, with stomach volumes dropping to safe levels in about 68 minutes on average. The Maurten drink emptied from the stomach about 33 minutes faster than the Precision Fuel & Hydration drink.
This research suggests that these athlete-oriented carbohydrate products empty from the stomach quickly enough in healthy people to potentially be safe for use before emergency orthopedic surgery. The findings justify further research testing these products specifically in trauma patients, who may have slower stomach emptying due to injury, pain, or opioid medications. If confirmed in trauma patients, this approach could allow surgeons to provide important nutritional support before surgery without significantly increasing aspiration risk.
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Torrie A, Tindal S, Wilhelm Z, Kommu K, Harris A, Slobogean G, et al.. (2026). Gastric emptying after athletic carbohydrate supplementation: implications for orthopaedic trauma patients.. European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-026-04932-6