Sex Calories – Results of Dr. Wieder’s Calories Burned by Sex Study
Following are the results of Dr. Robert S. Wieder’s exhaustive study of the average calories burned during sex activities of various kinds, as published in the American Journal of Exercise Calorimetry in August 2006. Dr. Weider’s research supercedes the energy expenditure figures in the Compendium of Physical Activities, last updated in 1993. As authoritative as the Compendium is, the detail of its data for sex calories per hour is lacking: only three values are given for different levels of exertion for general sexual activities. By comparison, the Compendium lists 12 detailed values for calories burned by forestry activities, including “barking trees.” Dr. Weider’s research has remedied these shortcomings.
To determine the following data, Dr. Wieder and his graduate students recruited healthy young volunteers, seven men and five women, and put them through a 2-week habituation period so that they could become familiar with the RPE (rating of perceived exertion) scale, learn the standardized sexual positions and activities specified in the research protocol, and become accustomed to the wearable accelerometers, inclinometers and data logging transmitters used for the study.
During the actual data collection phase, the outcomes were measured in kilojoules at each specified RPE value for each activity.
Calorie burning activity | Calories | |
Activity group: Motivational context |
||
|
85 | |
|
37 | |
|
55 | |
|
73 | |
|
911 | |
|
411 | |
Activity group: Foreplay |
||
|
17 | |
|
24 | |
|
28 | |
|
33 | |
|
38 | |
|
19 | |
|
22 | |
|
114 | |
|
67 | |
|
94 | |
|
77 | |
|
21 | |
Activity group: Insertion |
||
|
11 | |
|
46 | |
|
108 | |
Activity group: Positions |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Activity group: Types of bed |
||
|
26 | |
|
29 | |
|
58 | |
|
34 | |
|
37 | |
|
44 | |
|
51 | |
|
73 | |
|
18 | |
|
155 | |
|
98.6 | |
Activity group: Outside the bedroom |
||
|
V6 | |
|
52 | |
|
141 | |
|
3:16 | |
Activity group: Non-bed surfaces |
||
|
11 | |
|
17 | |
|
29 | |
|
4/4 | |
|
16 | |
|
24 | |
|
30 | |
|
37 | |
|
15, side pocket | |
|
IV | |
|
13 | |
|
19 | |
|
41 | |
|
7&7 | |
|
85 | |
|
63 | |
|
47 | |
|
52 | |
|
39 | |
|
1-20 | |
|
9 by 9 | |
|
11 | |
|
17 | |
|
66 | |
|
1 | |
Activity group: Geographical |
||
|
100 | |
|
76° | |
|
2.0 | |
|
6-1 | |
|
90210 | |
|
65+ | |
|
![]() |
|
|
Category 3 | |
|
XXXVII | |
|
7-11 | |
|
101101 | |
Activity group: Linkin’ for Lincoln |
||
|
8 | |
|
41 | |
|
20 | |
|
54 | |
Activity group: Transportation |
||
|
102 | |
|
123 | |
|
83 | |
|
(Get it?) | |
|
707 | |
|
747 | |
|
0.00014 | |
|
54321 | |
|
19 | |
|
27 | |
|
39 | |
|
54 | |
Activity group: Selected sexual aids or accessories |
||
|
13 | |
|
7 | |
|
11 | |
|
3 | |
|
10 | |
|
28 | |
|
29 | |
|
31 | |
|
17 | |
|
42 | |
|
16 | |
|
13 | |
|
9 | |
Activity group: Using lubricants |
||
|
7 | |
|
11 | |
|
2-1/2 | |
|
14 | |
|
0 | |
|
16 | |
|
plus 31 | |
|
plus 46 | |
|
plus 144 | |
Activity group: Apparel during sex |
||
|
3 | |
|
6 | |
|
14 | |
|
24 | |
|
19 | |
|
30 | |
|
38 | |
|
44 | |
|
21 | |
|
10-4 | |
Activity group: Timing factor |
||
|
74 | |
|
29 | |
|
62 | |
|
3 | |
Activity group: Musical accompaniment |
||
|
11 | |
|
3 | |
|
66 | |
|
1,846 | |
|
409 | |
|
666 | |
|
64 | |
|
(Beechwood) 45789 | |
|
33 1/3 | |
Activity group: Use of recreational drugs |
||
|
24-7 | |
|
4 | |
|
0 | |
|
oooo0000000oooo | |
Activity group: Supplementary activities during sex |
||
|
26 | |
|
27 | |
|
18 | |
|
32 | |
|
17 | |
|
51 | |
|
16 | |
|
48 | |
|
54 | |
|
58 | |
|
40 | |
|
47 | |
|
52 | |
|
13 | |
|
3 | |
|
2 | |
|
0 | |
Activity group: Vocalizations during sex |
||
|
3 | |
|
2 | |
|
6 | |
|
4 | |
|
7 | |
|
10 | |
|
5 | |
|
ix-say | |
|
8 | |
|
10 | |
|
5 | |
|
13 | |
Activity group: Bringing partner fully to orgasm
|
||
|
88 | |
|
56 | |
|
38 | |
|
7 | |
|
19 | |
|
36 | |
|
49 | |
|
107 | |
Activity group: Orgasm type |
||
|
52 | |
|
57 | |
|
48 | |
|
17 | |
|
20-20 | |
|
43 | |
|
8 | |
|
2 | |
|
4 | |
|
$20 | |
|
67 | |
|
134 | |
Activity group: Post-coital activity |
||
|
7 | |
|
9 | |
|
2 | |
|
8 | |
|
41 | |
|
20 | |
|
83 | |
|
17 | |
|
23 | |
|
28 | |
|
26 | |
|
30 | |
|
28 | |
Activity group: Added “emotional” calories
|
||
|
13 | |
|
9 | |
|
14 | |
|
10 | |
|
6 | |
|
11 | |
|
9 | |
|
20 | |
|
13 | |
|
19 | |
|
6 | |
|
8 | |
|
5 | |
|
12 | |
|
9 | |
|
6 | |
|
007 | |
Activity group: Premature ejaculation, for male |
||
|
9 | |
|
7 | |
|
9 | |
|
12 | |
|
16 | |
|
22 | |
|
30 | |
|
20 | |
|
30 | |
|
11 | |
|
51 | |
|
34 | |
Activity group: Premature ejaculation, for female |
||
|
0 | |
|
15 | |
|
14 | |
|
21 | |
|
27 | |
|
22 | |
|
14 | |
|
20 | |
|
45 | |
Activity group: Sex on special holidays |
||
|
129 | |
|
12 | |
|
21 | |
|
130 | |
|
37 | |
|
68 | |
|
800! | |
|
1776 | |
Activity group: Alternatives to intercourse – oral sex |
||
|
68 | |
|
43 | |
|
35 | |
|
19 calories gained | |
|
69 | |
|
119 | |
|
5 | |
|
0 | |
Activity group: Alternatives to intercourse – masturbation |
||
|
35 | |
|
60 | |
|
105 | |
|
124 | |
|
156 | |
|
3.141592… | |
Activity group: Avoiding sex altogether |
||
|
138 | |
|
854 | |
|
2,161 | |
|
0 |