Project Title:
Combined effects of programmed exercise and brown seaweed extract consumption on exercise capacity, cardiometabolic and gut health, and psychological predictors of exercise adherence
Project Partners:
Dr Steven Trangmar- Leeds Beckett University (PI)
Professor Adele Costabile – University of Roehampton (Co-I)
Dr Adam Bruton – Brunel University London (Co-I)
BioAtlantis Ltd (Industry Partner)
Research issue, problem, risk or opportunity being addressed:
This project addresses the growing public health crisis of a “progressively unhealthier” population by exploring the synergistic effects of a novel brown seaweed extract and aerobic exercise. It seeks to bridge the gap between emerging phytochemical evidence and practical application, specifically focusing on how these interventions influence cardiometabolic health, gut function, and inflammation.
Beyond clinical outcomes, the research offers a strategic opportunity to provide the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries with the robust data needed to develop functional foods. Ultimately, it serves as a platform for future large-scale studies into the psychological and biological mechanisms that drive exercise adherence and metabolic recovery.
Project Achievements/Outputs:
The project has successfully achieved its primary objectives regarding the assessment of brown seaweed extract on aerobic exercise capacity, subjective recovery, cardiometabolic health, and psychological predictors of exercise adherence. The remaining objectives—monitoring inflammatory biomarkers and the metabolic profile—are provisionally achieved, with final analysis pending the recruitment of the last five participants (expected in early 2026).
The project has generated significant professional and strategic momentum:
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Capacity Building: The funding enabled the creation of a post-doctoral role for a local PhD graduate, who has since successfully secured a subsequent post-doctoral position within the university.
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Further Funding & Collaborations: This work acted as a catalyst for a broader research portfolio. Achievements include:
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Securing funding from an additional Hub, facilitating new industrial and academic connections.
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Award of a Yorkshire Biosciences DTP project, which integrates two academic institutions and multiple industrial partners to support the training of future scientists.
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Providing mentorship and support that enabled a colleague to successfully secure funding from a BBSRC Hub.
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While publications are pending the completion of the final dataset, a conference presentation is currently in preparation, targeted for The Nutrition Society Congress 2026.
Advancing Science:
The project has advanced understanding of how nutritional bioactives interact with structured exercise to influence human physiology, recovery, and exercise behaviour. By combining brown seaweed extract with an aerobic endurance‑training programme, the pilot work provides novel evidence that marine‑derived bioactives can modulate cardiometabolic risk factors and support subjective recovery from exercise and pleasure in exercise.
These findings extend current knowledge of functional foods and performance nutrition by demonstrating real‑world performance and recovery benefits in a training context, providing a potential adjunct to exercise for maintaining population healthspan.
Beyond academia, the findings of this pilot work could contribute to the development of evidence‑based functional nutrition products aimed at enhancing exercise performance, recovery, and long‑term adherence; areas of growing interest within sports science, public health, and the wellness sector. The psychological findings, in particular, open opportunities for translational applications that support physical‑activity engagement in both clinical and community settings.
We are excited by the opportunities to continue this work with our existing and future potential collaborators, and are currently holding talks with further industrial partners (including small start-ups and more established businesses) to collaborate in this space.
March 2026