Long Distance Running and Sex Drive

Endurance running may not only be just great for your heart, but your sex life as well. According to a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, there is a link between testosterone levels of both men and women, their hands and the speed at which they run.

Now I’m sure this all sounds very strange, but there is in fact some scientific evidence behind all of this. After testing a large pool of  marathon runners and scanning of their hands, the study – conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Division of Biological Anthropology – concluded that people with ring fingers that are the same length or longer than their index finger have higher testosterone exposure, which equates to a higher sex drive in women and healthier sperm count in men.

The females of the test group that had longer ring fingers (and therefore high testosterone levels) completed the race about 12 minutes faster than those with shorter finger. The males of the group with longer ring fingers ran almost 25 minutes faster.

“The observation that endurance running ability is connected to reproductive potential in men suggests that women in our hunter-gatherer past were able to observe running as a signal for a good breeding partner,” said the study’s lead author Dr Danny Longman in a press release.

By today’s standards, the endurance running theory could indicate a man has other key traits for being a good provider, such as generosity and intelligence – two very sexy qualities.

Now, before you go sizing up your index to ring finger ratio, know that the study does note that people who don’t naturally come with higher sex drives, can train their way up to one. Healthy diet and strict workouts can actually help with both your speed on the track, as well as your abilities between the sheets. So don’t lose all hope just yet!