Women prefer flings — but not marriage — with more muscular men: study

Fellas, if you fancy a one-night stand it may be time to hit the gym.

Research has revealed that women prefer more muscular men for their frisky flings and short-term romances.

A new study led by University of Arkansas Professor Mitch Brown quizzed 384 females about their thoughts on dating, with the results published in the academic journal, Personality and Individual Differences.

The women were presented with a photo of a man boasting a beefy physique before being shown a separate snap of a scrawnier-looking guy.

Most of the volunteers admitted that the muscular male was more attractive to them for a romantic rendezvous.

However, the study concluded that the females were less shallow about appearance when questions pertained to finding a life partner or spouse.

“Women associate muscles with being fit and healthy,” Dr. Brown explained in the research. “However, in a long-term context, it was important to find a kind person who will support his family [beyond physicality].”

“Nice guys who make friendly jokes can actually finish first when it comes to attracting a woman looking for a long-term relationship,” the professor continued.

After interviewing the women, Dr. Brown and his team concluded that humor helps men build long and substantial relationships — as long as the jokes don’t come at a woman’s expense.

The new study echoes the findings of a similar 2007 study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

That analysis came to the conclusion that chiseled men are likelier to have more sex partners than thinner fellows.

“Women are predisposed to prefer muscularity in men,” study author David Frederick explained.

“Most research is focused on what men find physically attractive in women,” the expert added. “Much less research is devoted to what women find attractive.”

Frederick interviewed 99 males about their sexual experiences and uncovered that brawny blokes were twice as likely to have over three sex partners than their less-muscular peers.