Calorify was founded in 2021 by Stanford-trained isotope scientist Dr. Hari Mix, who will now lead the internal performance research unit, M. Labs.
“I started Calorify because the gold standard metabolic measurement was only available in a handful of academic labs,” said Mix. “Maurten has the vision and resources to take our technology much further. Joining them is the natural next step in our mission to make the human energy budget something anyone can measure — and improve.”
DLW measures how much energy a person burns during everyday life by tracking stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes as they pass through the body.
It works by giving a person a measured dose of water containing two stable, non-radioactive isotopes: deuterium (²H) and oxygen-18 (¹⁸O), which mix with the body’s water. Over the following days, the body gradually eliminates these isotopes through urine, sweat and breathing. By analyzing urine or saliva samples and comparing how quickly the isotopes disappear, researchers can calculate CO₂ production and determine total energy expenditure.
Scientists first developed the method in 1949, but the cost of the isotopes limited its use in humans until the 1980s. Since then, researchers have conducted only around 30,000–40,000 DLW tests worldwide, most as part of academic studies.
Maurten is best known for its hydrogel technology gels and drink mixes, developed to encapsulate carbohydrates, carrying them through the stomach to be absorbed and used as fuel. They developed the technology using natural food ingredients, including seaweed-derived alginate and pectin from fruit fibres, to create a protective, pH-sensitive matrix.
“Hydrogel Technology increased the fuel an athlete can take in. Calorify shows what they burn. Together, there’s a lot less guessing,” Olof Sköld, Maurten CEO, said. “And what that makes possible is what excites us most.”
Enhancing personalized fueling capabilities
Maurten was recently involved in Sabastian Sawe’s marathon world-record preparation by developing a personalized nutrition and fueling strategy that helped him consume 115g of carbohydrates per hour during his historic 1:59:30 run at the London Marathon. The company used DLW to assess Sawe’s total energy expenditure across prolonged periods of training leading up to the event.
Christina Gustavsson, external communications manager at Maurten, told NutraIngredients that combining DLW with Maurten Hydrogel Technology should create opportunities to better understand athletes’ fueling requirements, to better personalize their fuel plans based on energy utilization, and to potentially predict and prevent overuse injuries.
“This method uses stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen to track carbon dioxide production, providing an accurate measure of how many calories he was burning during his marathon training block,” Gustavsson said. “By comparing this with dietary intake, we ensured he maintained appropriate energy availability, supporting recovery, immune function, and adaptation while minimizing risk of relative energy deficiency (RED-S).”
RED-S occurs when athletes fail to consume enough energy to meet the demands of exercise and support essential bodily functions, affecting everything from hormone production and bone health to recovery, immunity and performance.
By measuring athletes’ actual energy expenditure, rather than relying on estimates, Maurten aims to develop more precise fueling strategies that help athletes meet their energy needs, reduce the risk of under-fueling and support long-term health and performance.
“The vision is to democratize knowledge around athletic performance and health,” Gustavsson noted.
