{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,20]],"date-time":"2025-09-20T06:29:12Z","timestamp":1758349752774,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758240000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Overweight is a major risk factor for metabolic disorders and joint injuries. Exercise and dieting alone often fail to yield ideal outcomes due to issues like non-compliance and safety concerns. Polysaccharides, such as chitosan, are promising in regulating lipids, glucose, and aiding weight loss. However, the combined effects of chitosan supplementation and exercise on lower limb biomechanics and metabolic health remain underexplored.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To assess the effects of chitosan supplementation combined with moderate-intensity exercise on metabolic parameters and lower limb biomechanics in overweight adults, and to evaluate the intervention\u2019s safety, compliance, and feasibility for clinical and community-based management.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A single-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 60 overweight adults. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: polysaccharide plus exercise, exercise-only, or control group, with a 12-week intervention period. The polysaccharide plus exercise group received 3,000\u00a0mg of daily chitosan alongside moderate-intensity exercise, while the exercise-only group participated in the same exercise routine without supplementation. The control group maintained their usual lifestyle. Primary outcomes included changes in body composition, metabolic indices, and lower limb biomechanics. Compliance and adverse events were recorded. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni correction (P &amp;lt; 0.05).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>No significant baseline differences were found across groups (P &amp;gt; 0.05). After 12\u00a0weeks, the polysaccharide plus exercise group showed significantly greater reductions in body weight and waist circumference compared to the exercise-only and control groups (P &amp;lt; 0.05). BMI, hip circumference, and total body fat mass were also significantly lower than the control group (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The polysaccharide plus exercise group exhibited superior improvements in HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL (P &amp;lt; 0.05), and showed more substantial reductions in maximum plantar pressure and peak ground reaction force (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Compliance in this group was significantly higher than in the exercise-only group (P = 0.002). No significant differences in adverse events were observed (P &amp;gt; 0.05).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Chitosan supplementation combined with moderate-intensity exercise significantly improved body weight, metabolic parameters, and lower limb biomechanics in overweight individuals, with good compliance and safety. This intervention offers a promising strategy for managing overweight and related metabolic issues.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1629042","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T05:28:44Z","timestamp":1758259724000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of chitosan-assisted moderate-intensity exercise on metabolic parameters and lower-limb biomechanical characteristics in overweight adults: a randomized controlled trial"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Jianwei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Haiyan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S111","DOI":"10.2337\/dc24-S006","article-title":"6. Glycemic goals and hypoglycemia: standards of care in diabetes\u20142024","volume":"47","author":"Aleppo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Diabetes Care"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7492","DOI":"10.1039\/d1bm01129d","article-title":"Thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogels supporting motor neuron-like NSC-34 cell differentiation","volume":"9","author":"Antonella","year":"2021","journal-title":"Biomaterials Sci."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e25414","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e25414","article-title":"Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Foeniculum vulgare extract regulate retrieval of sensory and motor functions in mice","volume":"10","author":"Bajaber","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"B4","first-page":"2514","article-title":"Rehabilitation training combined with neurotrophic factor 3\u2013chitosan scaffold improves skeletal muscle morphology and motor function in rats with spinal cord injury [in Chinese]","volume":"25","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chin. J. Tissue Eng. Res."},{"key":"B5","first-page":"176","article-title":"Lower extremity biomechanical characteristics of individuals with different BMI indices in rope skipping","volume":"39","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Med. Biomechanics"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105967","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2025.105967","article-title":"Synergistic effects of plant polysaccharides and exercise on depression alleviation from the microbiota-gut-brain axis","volume":"64","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Food Biosci."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13431","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.13431","article-title":"Biomechanical variations in children who are overweight and obese during high\u2010impact activities: a systematic review and meta\u2010analysis","volume":"23","author":"Claire","year":"2022","journal-title":"Obes. Rev."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"527","DOI":"10.1186\/s12887-022-03590-x","article-title":"The effects of chitosan supplementation on anthropometric indicators of obesity, lipid and glycemic profiles, and appetite-regulated hormones in adolescents with overweight or obesity: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial","volume":"22","author":"Fatahi","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Pediatr."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1007\/s12640-024-00699-y","article-title":"Effects of exercise training and L-Arginine loaded chitosan nanoparticles on Hippocampus histopathology, \u03b2-secretase Enzyme function, APP, Tau, Iba1and APOE-4 mRNA in aging rats","volume":"42","author":"Feizolahi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Neurotox. Res."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.25259\/sni_928_2023","article-title":"PEG-chitosan (Neuro-PEG) induced restoration of motor function after complete transection of the dorsal spinal cord in swine. A pilot study","volume":"14","author":"Lebenstein Gumovski","year":"2023","journal-title":"Surg. Neurol. Int."},{"key":"B11","first-page":"47","article-title":"Biomechanical research progress on lower extremity injuries in overweight populations during drop landing [in Chinese]","volume":"40","author":"Liu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Fujian Sports Sci. Technol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1033","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.12848","article-title":"A systematic review on biomechanical characteristics of walking in children and adolescents with overweight\/obesity: Possible implications for the development of musculoskeletal disorders","volume":"20","author":"Molina-Garcia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Obes. Rev. official J. Int. Assoc. Study Obes."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2079","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare11142079","article-title":"Concentric isokinetic strengthening program's impact on knee biomechanical parameters, physical performance and quality of life in overweight\/obese women with chronic meniscal lesions","volume":"11","author":"Nadhir","year":"2023","journal-title":"Healthc. Basel, Switz."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"795","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2019.03.234","article-title":"Chondroprotective action of glucosamine, a chitosan monomer, on the joint health of athletes","volume":"132","author":"Nagaoka","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"B15","unstructured":"National health and nutrition examination Survey: 2021 anthropometry procedures manual"},{"key":"B16","unstructured":"National health and nutrition examination Survey: 2021 body composition procedures manual"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1119","DOI":"10.1111\/sms.14163","article-title":"Effects of integrative neuromuscular training on the gait biomechanics of children with overweight and obesity","volume":"32","author":"Pablo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Scand. J. Med. and Sci. sports"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1007\/s11011-024-01517-2","article-title":"Chitosan lactate improves repeated closed head injury-generated motor and neurological dysfunctions in mice by impacting microbiota gut-brain axis","volume":"40","author":"Rabi Bazaz","year":"2025","journal-title":"Metab. Brain Dis."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3516","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15163516","article-title":"A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study to evaluate the effect on the weight of a medical device with polyglucosamine L112 in a group of overweight and obese subjects","volume":"15","author":"Rondanelli","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3420","DOI":"10.3390\/nu16193420","article-title":"Efficacy of food Industry by-product \u03b2-glucan\/chitin\u2013chitosan on lipid profile of overweight and obese individuals: sustainability and nutraceuticals","volume":"16","author":"Santisteban","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1590\/2446-4740.180017","article-title":"Biomechanical alterations of gait on overweight subjects","volume":"34","author":"Silva","year":"2018","journal-title":"Res. Biomed. Eng."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105332","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinbiomech.2021.105332","article-title":"The effects of adiposity, muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and fatigue on gait biomechanics in overweight and obese children","volume":"84","author":"Singh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Biomech."},{"key":"B23","first-page":"434","article-title":"An experimental study on chitosan improving the anti-fatigue capacity of exercise-trained mice by reducing free radical accumulation","volume":"35","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Tianjin Inst. Phys. Educ."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105583","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arabjc.2023.105583","article-title":"Enhanced anti-fatigue and exercise performances due to Hu\u00e1ng q\u00ed polysaccharide supplementation in mice","volume":"17","author":"Wong","year":"2024","journal-title":"Arabian J. Chem."},{"key":"B25","unstructured":"Obesity and overweight\n          \n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4774","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14224774\\","article-title":"Combined physical exercise and diet: regulation of gut microbiota to prevent and treat of metabolic disease: a review","volume":"14","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/fpd.2024.0128","article-title":"Polysaccharides from Millettia speciosa champ. Ameliorates excessive exercise-induced fatigue by regulating gut microbiota","author":"Zhang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Foodborne pathogens Dis."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1629042\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T05:28:46Z","timestamp":1758259726000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1629042\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]]},"references-count":27,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1629042"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1629042","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-4185"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2296-4185"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]]},"article-number":"1629042"}}