Watching football is healthier than sex!

15:55 19 September 2007

It's good news for fans of the beautiful game - a study has revealed that football is better than sex, if you're trying to lose weight anyway.

Screaming and shouting on behalf of your team during the match could be the new way to keep fit, as you burn off nearly 1,000 calories per match - the equivalent of 180 minutes of sex or 40 minutes of running.

These energetic celebrations add up to nearly half the recommended daily calorie intake for men - enough to burn off eight cans of beer that might be downed whilst watching.

Fans of teams that under-perform in dull matches lose the least calories, whereas big scoring matches in the Premiership burn off the most.

Supporting the winning team is the proven healthier option, it appears. The average calories burnt per fan in the 2006-07 league had Watford fans burning 2,500 calories less than Manchester United fans who let loose 43,477 calories.

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If you watch the match on TV instead in the stadium, you lose around 700 calories, which is still more than two hours worth of love making.

It is estimated that you drop 81.5 calories when cheering at a goal, or 60 when you concede one.

Sports nutritionist Dr Adam Carey confirms: "Actively supporting your team is a great way to burn calories. As long as you avoid overdoing it on pies and beer, all fans should come out of the ground slimmer"