Various forms of physical activity such as jogging, weights, biking, or swimming might be the usual things that come to our mind. But have you ever wondered how many calories you can burn when performing sex? Getting busy with your partner can be a good workout but how many calories are you really burning? Some say you can really burn a lot of calories when getting it on with your partner while others say its just an exaggeration. It does get your heart pumping but the majority of cases the caloric expenditure from sex is not as high as we think.
There are many studies that have discussed between sex and calorie expenditure. There is one study based on 21 heterosexual couples in their early 20’s.
Studies Performed
There have been several studies published in the last few years that have discussed the calorie expenditure with sex. One of them, is from the University of Quebec at Montreal and there are 21 heterosexual couples in their early 20s. Researchers focused on their energy expenditure during exercise and sexual activity. They used armbands to track activity.
Perceived energy expenditure, perception of effort, fatigue, and pleasure were also assessed after sexual activity. All participants completed a 30-minute endurance exercise session on a treadmill at a moderate intensity to compare caloric expenditure.
The end results showed that men burned 101 calories (4.2 calories per minute) on average during the 24 minute session. Women burned 69 calories (3.1 calories per minute). Mean intensity was 6.0 METS in men and 5.6 METS in women, which represents moderate intensity. During the 30 minute moderate-intensity treadmill session, men burned 276 calories and women burned 213 calories. Also, it was noted that perceived energy expenditure during sexual activity was similar in men and women when compared to measured energy expenditure.
So what does this say about sex? Well, based on statistics it does not burn as many calories as a moderate-intensity exercise BUT the number of calories burned was still notable.
Tips on How to Burn more Calories with Sex
Now that we have a general number on a caloric expenditure. Below are some tips if you want to increase the calorie output in your next round of sex.
1. Last Longer
I know it sounds simple but logically if you want to burn more calories then you must perform for a longer amount of time!
2. Hot and Steamy
As both your bodies get warmer you will sweat more and therefore more calories are burned.
3. Variety
Yes, there is a sex calculator and you will enter you and your partner’s gender and weight, along with what positions you executed. As a result your calories burned is tallied.
For example, a woman who weighs 140 pounds and her male partner who is 190 pounds. In the missionary position she will burn 14 calories with her at the bottom and he will burn 47 calories based on 10 minutes. If they were standing during sex with her in the front then she would burn 30 calories and he would burn 51 for 10 minutes. Now, if he was holding her up for 10 minutes during sex, he would burn 65 calories and she would burn 40.
Health Benefits with Sex
There are tons of health benefits with sex besides the caloric expenditure.
1. Healthy Heart
According to an American Journal of Cardiology study, men who had sex at least 2x a week were less likely to develop heart disease, as compared to men who only had sex 1x per month.
2. Stress Relief and Better Sleep
After an orgasm, the hormones in your system called oxytocin and prolactin are released. Both oxytocin and prolactin have strong links to satiety, relaxation, and sleepiness. The reason after a good sex performance your man is usually sleeping like a baby.
3. Stronger pelvic floor muscles
Pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, bowel, and uterus. When they contract, these organs are lifted and the openings to the vagina, anus, and urethra are tightened.
Strengthening these muscles supports control over bodily functions such as urination. It can also increase the ability to achieve pleasurable sensations during sex.
Final Thoughts
To sum things up, sex has many health benefits beyond burning calories. Its something you and your partner can enjoy together while burning some calories. So, why not have it more often and be creative so your caloric output can be higher!
