Background The Standardised, Concentrated with Added Macronutrients Parenteral (SCAMP) nutrition regimen is a method of hyperalimentation shown to improve early head growth in very preterm infants. Early hyperalimentation is associated with marked hyperglycaemia. Increasing early protein intake reduces the risk of insulin-treated hyperglycaemia. We hypothesised that increasing carbohydrate and protein intake simultaneously using the SCAMP regimen would not result in more insulin-treated hyperglycaemia. Methods Control parenteral nutrition (PN) was started within 6 h birth and infants ( Results Infants were randomised (d 2 –5) to SCAMP (n = 74) and control (n = 76) groups. In 14-day-survivors (Table 1), SCAMP (n = 68) achieved higher mean actual protein/carbohydrate intakes than control (n = 72) from day 3–4. This was not associated with a difference in MBG or insulin use. Conclusion The SCAMP regimen did not result in the major disturbances in blood glucose control previously described with hyperalimentation. We propose this is partly explained by differences in early protein intake.