Here's How Many Calories You're Potentially Burning Every Time You Have Sex
For those of you who like to get intimate between the sheets — or elsewhere — in hopes of ditching the treadmill and burning those calories in a more, well, pleasurable way, we have bad news. Sex, although a good way to pump your heart and raise your pulse, does not do much in terms of calorie burn.
Shocked? The myth that "you can lose up to 300 calories per session," is just that — an intimacy myth that sex experts have disproven. Sadly, there is no data to back up this claim. The research that does exist, however, shows that you can — indeed — lose some calories during sex, but the number count is well below 300 calories per average-length session.
A 2013 study from the University of Quebec at Montreal measured the average energy expenditure during moderately-intense sexual activities in 21 heterosexual young, healthy couples in their 20s, compared to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Results indicated that the number of calories burned was 4.2 kCal per minute in men and 3.1 kCal per minute in women. By comparison, those burned during a 30-minute exercise session were almost three times that: 276 kCal in total or 9.2 kCal per minute for men and 213 kCal in total or 7.1 kCal per minute for women. While it may be possible to burn up to 300 calories during sex, your session would have to be considerably longer than the average of 5.4 minutes (via a 2005 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine).
What determines calories burned during sex?
Naturally, more intense sexual sessions will lead to more calories being burned. Additionally, taking the more active role can use up more calories. "Whoever is taking the more active role is burning more calories — women will burn more calories during sex if they are on top," female sexual medicine expert Leah Millheiser, M.D., told Everyday Health. "In general, men tend to burn more calories during sex than women."
And if you are too quick to chastise yourself for not being more active during intercourse, hold that thought for a minute. Losing more calories during sex as a man also has to do with the composition and size of the male body and not just the effort they put in during sex. The bigger you are and the more muscular you are, the more calories you burn (even while your body is taking a break from exercise!). Since males are generally more muscular and have less body fat than females, they are able to burn more calories in general (and during sex, particularly).
Despite the disappointing news, sex does offer a plethora of other advantages for your health and body. Professor of exercise Jason Karp, Ph.D., told Everyday Health, "Research has shown that both exercise and sex are good for our health — and the more of each we get, the better." Plus, more sex is definitely a good sign that you and your partner's sexual compatibility is strong.
Other sex benefits to keep in mind
Even though sex doesn't do a whole lot for calorie burning, it does wonders for our health and immune system. "Sexually active people take fewer sick days," sexual health expert Yvonne K. Fulbright, Ph.D., told WebMD. Additionally, sex has been found to lower your blood pressure, as Joseph J. Pinzone, M.D., told the outlet: "One landmark study found that sexual intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood pressure." Moreover, sex helps regulate your estrogen and testosterone levels, thus minimizing the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Need more reasons to jump into bed with your partner? "Orgasm can block pain," State University of New Jersey Barry R. Komisaruk, Ph.D., confirms. "We've found that vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and many women have told us that genital self-stimulation can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache."
If your sex drive is not what it used to be, worry not, because according to obstetrics and gynecology professor Lauren Streicher, M.D., "Having sex will make sex better and will improve your libido." Thus, it can help you overcome a sexual plateau in your relationship. So, even though sex doesn't help you burn a whole lot of calories (granted, it does burn some), it is good for your health anyway.