Women have long complained that men get more out of the bedroom than they do.
And that also appears to be true when it comes to how many calories you burn during sex, research suggests.
Men expend, on average, 101 calories during sex, which is equivalent to a 4.5-ounce bag of Skinny Pop popcorn.
Women, by comparison, only burn about 69 calories during sex, roughly the same as just 10 measly raw almonds.
A 2022 study estimated that men burn 4.2 calories per minute compared to women’s 3.1 calories per minute during sex.
In a typical sexual encounter, women only burn about 69 calories, roughly the same as just 10 measly raw almonds.
The figures come from a 2022 review of the latest research, which estimated that men burn 4.2 calories per minute versus 3.1 for women — a difference of about 26 percent.
And those numbers can vary widely depending on the duration and intensity of sex and different sexual positions.
The discrepancy comes down to who takes the “more active role” during sex, according to Professor Leah Millheiser, a sex expert at Stanford Health in California.
In general, men have more muscle than women, which means they expend more calories even when performing the same activity as their female counterparts.
But Professor Millheiser said those who take a “more active role” during sex are likely to burn more calories.
A survey revealed by DailyMail.com earlier this month found that doggy style and missionary were among the most popular sex positions among heterosexual couples.
In the first, one participant bends over and squats on all fours, while in the second, one partner stands on top of the other while they are face to face.
Most of the time, both positions involve the man expending more energy, which would lead to greater calorie burning during sex.
The calorie figures in the 2022 review were just an estimated average and those numbers could change in couples where the woman prefers to take a more active role.
Last month’s survey showed that reverse cowgirl was also one of the most popular sex positions.
Men expend, on average, 101 calories during sex, which is equivalent to a 4.5-ounce bag of Skinny Pop popcorn.
This involves the woman being on top and with her back to her partner.
In this position, the woman does most of the moving, which means she will likely burn more calories than her male partner.
The survey also revealed that the typical sexual encounter lasts an impressive 30 minutes per session, meaning that, at least in the US, men could be burning up to 126 calories per encounter.
While women would burn up to 93 calories per 30-minute session.
For comparison, running for 30 minutes can burn up to 500 calories.
Dr. Jason Karp, exercise scientist and author of Sexercise: How to exercise for better sex, said Everyday Health: ‘Despite the increases in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure that occur during sex, it appears that sex, as a form of exercise, falls short of the cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits of other types of exercise, such as running, cycling, and weight lifting.’
This could be because sex does not raise the heart rate as much as other intense cardiovascular activities and is more similar to a moderately brisk walk.
And previous investigation has shown that sexual activity lasts between three and 13 minutes, leading experts to believe that the estimated calories burned are likely due to energy expended during foreplay and non-penetrative sex.
Still, Dr. Millheiser told Everyday Health that the more time we spend hugging, kissing and being intimate, the more calories we burn.
