The metabolic truth: How many calories does masturbation actually burn?

Masturbation does burn calories, but not nearly enough to count as a workout. Here is what the research says, how many calories jerking off actually burns, and how to fold it into a smart, male-focused weight plan.

The relationship

Men Google this question a lot: “how many calories does masturbation burn?” The honest answer is that yes, masturbating burns calories, but only a small amount. It is closer to pacing around your bedroom than running on a treadmill.

Sexual activity in general is a light to moderate physical effort for most men. A lab study that tracked heart rate and oxygen use during partnered sex found that men burned about 3 to 4 kilocalories per minute on average, similar to a brisk walk.^[1] Masturbation usually involves less movement than intercourse, so the energy cost is likely a bit lower.

So how many calories does jerking off burn in real life? For a typical 10 to 15 minute session, most men are probably in the range of 15 to 40 kilocalories. That is roughly the calorie cost of a few bites of a sandwich, not a full workout. From a weight-loss point of view, masturbating is neutral: it will not make you lean, and it will not make you fat.

How it works

To understand how many calories masturbating burns, you have to look at how the body measures effort, how hormones respond to orgasm, and how stress and sleep tie into belly fat and muscle.

The basic math: METs and calorie burn

A metabolic equivalent, or MET, is a unit that describes how much energy an activity uses compared with resting. One MET equals the energy you burn sitting quietly, about 1 kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per hour.^[2]

Light activities like slow walking or standing are around 1.5 to 2.5 METs. More dynamic movement, like brisk walking, lands around 3 to 4 METs.^[2] Studies of partnered sex suggest it averages about 3 to 4 METs for men, with short bursts that are higher during orgasm and thrusting.^[1]

Masturbation tends to be less full-body than intercourse, so a reasonable estimate for many men is around 2 to 3 METs. For an 80‑kilogram man, that comes out to roughly 160 to 240 kilocalories per hour, or about 3 kilocalories per minute at the high end. Over 10 minutes, that is 20 to 30 kilocalories, which answers the question “how many calories does masturbating burn” for a typical session.

Intensity, position, and duration matter

Like any activity, the number of calories masturbation burns depends on how hard your body is working. Lying on your back and using only your arm will burn fewer calories than kneeling, standing, rocking your hips, or tensing many muscle groups at once.

Longer sessions also burn more total energy. A 5‑minute quick release might use only 10 to 15 kilocalories. A more drawn-out 20‑minute session with more movement could get into the 40 to 60 kilocalorie range. Even then, questions like “how many calories does mastrubating burn” reflect a focus on numbers that are still very small in the context of a daily intake of 2,000 to 3,000 kilocalories.

Heart rate, orgasm, and hormone shifts

Orgasm is a short cardio burst. During masturbation, men experience increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing as the sympathetic nervous system fires. The sympathetic system is the “fight or flight” branch that speeds the heart and boosts blood flow to muscles.

Small lab studies show that masturbation-induced orgasm briefly raises levels of several hormones, including prolactin, cortisol, and oxytocin, and then allows them to settle back down.^[3] Prolactin is a hormone linked to sexual satiety and the refractory period. Oxytocin is sometimes called the “bonding hormone” and can promote relaxation after the peak.

Testosterone, the main male sex hormone that shapes muscle, libido, and fat distribution, does not appear to change in a lasting way with normal masturbation patterns. Some research has found small, temporary fluctuations before and after orgasm, but baseline testosterone levels over days and weeks stay stable in healthy men.

Stress relief, sleep, and belly fat

Chronic stress and poor sleep are two of the strongest hormone-related drivers of belly fat in men. High cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, is linked to more visceral fat, insulin resistance, and higher blood pressure.^[5] Short sleep is tied to higher risk of obesity and metabolic disease.^[4]

For many men, orgasm through masturbation is a reliable way to relax and fall asleep faster. While the research on masturbation itself is limited, broader sleep studies show that improving sleep duration and quality lowers the risk of weight gain and helps with appetite control.^[4] If masturbation helps you unwind at night without cutting into your sleep window, it may indirectly support better weight control.

Masturbation, testosterone, and weight loss myths

There is a stubborn online myth that frequent masturbation “kills your testosterone” and blocks muscle and fat loss. High-quality human data do not support this. In healthy men, regular ejaculation through sex or masturbation does not meaningfully lower baseline testosterone levels.

On the flip side, low testosterone is clearly linked to higher body fat, lower muscle mass, and more fatigue in men.^[6] Meta-analyses suggest that symptomatic men with total testosterone below about 350 ng/dL, or free testosterone below about 100 pg/mL, are most likely to benefit from testosterone replacement therapy when other causes have been ruled out.^[6] Those hormone levels, and your lifestyle, drive your weight far more than how often you jerk off.

Conditions linked to it

The act of masturbation itself is not a medical problem. For most men, it is a normal part of their sexual life. The concern is less about “does masturbating burn calories” and more about what your habits around it might signal.

Some men develop compulsive sexual behavior, sometimes called hypersexual behavior. This is when urges and time spent masturbating feel out of control, cause distress, or interfere with work, relationships, sleep, or training time. In those cases, weight can creep up not because masturbation changes metabolism, but because it replaces exercise, social connection, and recovery.

Heavy late-night porn use plus frequent jerking off can also worsen sleep timing. If you routinely stay up an extra hour scrolling and masturbating, you cut into deep sleep. As the evidence on sleep and obesity shows, chronically short sleep is tied to higher hunger hormones, more evening snacking, and more visceral fat in men.^[4],[5]

There are also indirect links between sexual behavior and general health. Large cohort studies have found that men with more frequent orgasms from any source tend to have lower overall mortality, even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors.^[7] That does not prove cause and effect, but it suggests that a healthy sex life can coexist with, and may reflect, better physical and mental health.

Limitations note: Almost all of this research is observational and focuses on partnered sex, not masturbation. It cannot prove that sexual activity itself causes weight or health changes, only that they track together.

Symptoms and signals

Most men do not need to worry about how many calories masturbation burns. Pay more attention to these signs that your habits or your hormones might be off:

• You regularly skip workouts, social plans, or hobbies so you can stay home and masturbate.
• You stay up late watching porn and feel chronically tired, even on days you do not train.
• You feel out of control with jerking off, or you get anxious, guilty, or depressed afterward.
• Your weight, especially around your waist, keeps climbing despite no big change in diet.
• Your sex drive has dropped, you have fewer morning erections, or erections are weaker.
• You notice low energy, reduced strength, or slower recovery from workouts.
• You have trouble focusing at work and feel “wired but tired” much of the day.

If these sound familiar, the key question is not “how many calories does jerking off burn” but “is my overall routine supporting or sabotaging my health?” That is what your doctor will help you sort out.

What to do about it

If you came here wondering “does masturbating burn calories” or “how many calories does masturbation burn,” you are probably also thinking about your weight, hormones, or performance. Here is a simple, male-focused plan.

1. Get the facts on your body, not just on calories from masturbation.
   Ask your clinician for a basic metabolic checkup if you are gaining fat, losing muscle, or feel low on drive. That usually includes:
   • Body weight and waist measurement.
   • Blood pressure and resting heart rate.
   • Fasting glucose, HbA1c, and a lipid panel.
   • Total testosterone, and free testosterone if total is borderline.
   • Sometimes thyroid function and morning cortisol, depending on symptoms.

   Use the thresholds your doctor trusts, but as a rule of thumb, repeated total testosterone readings below about 350 ng/dL or free testosterone below about 100 pg/mL in a symptomatic man deserve a closer look.^[6]

2. Build a real weight plan; keep masturbation in the “neutral” column.
   For fat loss and better metabolic health, focus on:
   • Structured exercise: Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate cardio plus 2 to 3 days of resistance training. Compared with this, the calories from masturbation are rounding error.
   • Nutrition: Slight calorie deficit, plenty of protein, and mostly whole foods will move your body composition more than any change in ejaculation frequency.
   • Sleep and stress: Keep a steady sleep schedule and use non-sex stress tools too, like walking, breathing drills, or lifting. Masturbation can be one stress outlet, but it should not be the only one.
   • Boundaries with porn and jerking off: If masturbation is eating into training time or sleep, set simple rules such as no porn after a set bedtime, or masturbating only once a day at most.
3. Monitor, adjust, and get support when needed.
   Track your weight, waist size, strength numbers, and energy for 8 to 12 weeks. If your body composition is improving and your sex life feels healthy, you do not need to stress about “how many calories does masturbating burn.” If you are stuck, talk with:
   • A primary care physician or endocrinologist about hormones, metabolism, and medications.
   • A urologist if you have erection or ejaculation concerns.
   • A therapist familiar with sexual health if masturbation feels compulsive or shame-filled.

Myth vs Fact: Masturbation, calories, and male hormones

• Myth: Masturbation burns hundreds of calories, like a long run.
  Fact: For most men, a typical session burns about 10 to 40 kilocalories, closer to a short walk than a workout.
• Myth: You can skip cardio if you jerk off every day.
  Fact: Even vigorous masturbation is nowhere near the energy burn of 30 minutes of jogging or lifting.
• Myth: Jerking off wrecks testosterone and kills gains.
  Fact: Normal masturbation does not meaningfully lower baseline testosterone or block muscle growth in healthy men.^,[6]
• Myth: More orgasms automatically equal more fat loss.
  Fact: Weight change still comes down to your overall calorie balance, training load, sleep, and hormone profile, not ejaculation count.

Bottom line

So, how many calories does masturbation burn? For most men, not many – usually a few dozen per session at most. Yes, masturbation burns calories, but the number is small enough that it will not make or break your weight, your testosterone level, or your gains. Where it can help is as a stress-management and sleep tool, as long as it does not steal time from lifting, cardio, or real rest. If you are worried about energy, libido, or body fat, focus on the bigger levers: nutrition, training, sleep, and hormone health. Masturbation is background noise, not the main event.

References

1. Frappier J, Toupin I, Levy JJ, et al. Energy expenditure during sexual activity in young healthy couples. PloS one. 2013;8:e79342. PMID: 24205382
2. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of sport and health science. 2024;13:6-12. PMID: 38242596
3. Krüger TH, Haake P, Hartmann U, et al. Orgasm-induced prolactin secretion: feedback control of sexual drive? Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. 2002;26:31-44. PMID: 11835982
4. Cappuccio FP, Taggart FM, Kandala NB, et al. Meta-analysis of short sleep duration and obesity in children and adults. Sleep. 2008;31:619-26. PMID: 18517032
5. Björntorp P. Do stress reactions cause abdominal obesity and comorbidities? Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2001;2:73-86. PMID: 12119665
6. Corona G, Monami M, Rastrelli G, et al. Testosterone and metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis study. The journal of sexual medicine. 2011;8:272-83. PMID: 20807333
7. Davey Smith G, Frankel S, Yarnell J. Sex and death: are they related? Findings from the Caerphilly Cohort Study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). ;315:1641-4. PMID: 9448525