Female attraction to male muscle mass across the menstrual cycle.

Abstract

The current project investigated female attraction to male muscle mass across the menstrual cycle. On four separate occasions in a five week period, female participants rated the attractiveness of images of male bodies. Images included four different levels of muscle mass: low muscle, medium muscle, high muscle, and extremely high muscle. It was hypothesized that females would rate the high and the extremely high muscle mass images higher in attractiveness when ovulating than when not ovulating. It was also hypothesized that females would rate the low muscle mass images low in attractiveness regardless of ovulatory status. Results revealed no significant interaction between ovulatory status and ratings of muscle mass. However, there was a significant main effect for muscle mass. Extremely high muscle images were rated significantly higher than both medium muscle images and low muscle images. High muscle images were rated significantly higher than both medium muscle images and low muscle images. Medium muscle images were rated significantly lower than both extremely high muscle images and high muscle images, but higher than low muscle images. Low muscle images were rated significantly lower than extremely high muscle images, high muscle images, and medium muscle images, each. It seems that muscle mass is not one of the indications of testosterone level that females use to evaluate mates. Additionally, females do not appear to be highly attracted to males with very low muscle mass, regardless of ovulatory status.