#132 | Measuring Metabolism | Hari Mix PhD of Calorify

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Apr 21, 2024

Hari Mix, Founder and CEO of Calorify and a Stanford PhD, sheds light on the evolving landscape of metabolism and nutrition. He reveals why many athletes are moving from restriction to strategic fueling for optimal performance. Mix discusses the pitfalls of traditional calorie tracking and introduces cutting-edge methods like doubly labeled water for accurate energy measurement. He also uncovers the complexities of calorie impact on health and the critical danger of underfueling, particularly in sports, while addressing age-related metabolism myths.

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INSIGHT

Calorie Counting Importance

Calorie counting is fundamental to understanding weight management, yet it's rarely measured accurately.
Accurate calorie measurement is crucial, but current methods are often inaccurate by 30-40%.

ANECDOTE

Runner Calorie Variations

Professional women runners with identical training and body composition showed significant calorie burn variations.
These variations highlight the impact of non-exercise activities and individual factors on metabolism.

INSIGHT

Energy Balance Importance

Accurately understanding energy balance is crucial, not just for weight, but for long-term health.
Insufficient energy can lead to health issues like osteopenia, while excess energy might accelerate aging.

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Everybody knows exercise is good for us but why? And why doesn't my food tracker balance my calories even when I weigh my food and use a power meter and heart rate monitor to track energy usage? Do I really have to step on a scale everyday to know if I am eating too much? And how can I tell if I'm eating too little to build muscle and to avoid bone and immune function issues down the road?

Today on episode 132 I am joined by Hari Mix, a Stanford University PhD and the Founder and CEO of Calorify, an emerging technology company providing athletes and sports teams with the world's most accurate measurement of energy expenditure, powered by doubly labeled water. Only by accurately measuring metabolic activity can athletes and everyday people know if we are consuming too much or too little food to power our athletic pursuits and the bodily functions that repair our bodies and keep us healthy for a long time.

Hari Mix explains that professional athletes are shifting from "how little can I eat and still perform" to "how much can I eat to perform better", and he walks us though what is known about these complicated and vexing questions about balancing calories in vs. out, and why exercise is not a great tool for losing weight.

The image below is a weak illustration of the idea that your metabolism changes in response to changes in energy availability / left over after exercise. It works both ways: too little available energy will turn down metabolic rate while too much energy availability will turn up the metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of energy usage is indicative of bodily function activity level: energy surplus: growing muscles and bones and other organs, energy shortage: scavenging of old and damaged proteins in muscles, bones, immune cells, etc. (autophagy, mitophogy):

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