5 myths about the male body exposed

There are many myths surrounding men and their physiques, right from the size of their feet to their sex lives.

Dr Aaron Carroll of Indiana University and co-author of Don't Swallow your Gum: Myths, Half-truths and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health reveals the truth behind the myths.

1. Men think about sex every 7 seconds    

"That is as many times as we breathe everyday. Nobody has that type of mental stamina," Live Science quoted Carroll as saying.
 
In one of the most comprehensive surveys about sexual habits in the United states, completed by Edward Laumann and colleagues in 1994, 43% of men reported thinking about sex not even once a day, but rather somewhere between a couple times a week to a couple times a month.

2. Single guys have better sex lives than married guys
 
Conventional wisdom says married men get nothing but slumber in their bedrooms, while single studs are "closing the deal". But it is actually those with the vows that are getting it on.

A 2006 study by the National Opinion Research Centre found that husbands get lucky between 28% to more than 400%t more often than bachelors, depending on their age.

And it is not a ho-hum roll in the matrimonial bed; not only are married women more likely to be orgasmic, married men also give and get more oral sex.

3. Semen is loaded with calories
 
According to Dr Rachel Vreeman, also of Indiana University and Carroll's co-author, seminal fluid is made up of water and nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium and magnesium.

It also contains the sugar fructose but only 5 to 7 calories worth per serving.

"It is unlikely to create a diet issue, but this should not be used in an argument for whatever," Live Science quoted Vreeman as saying.

4. If you shave your beard or head, the hair comes back faster, thicker, and coarser
 
"If that were true, we'd have a cure for male pattern baldness," Carroll said.

Stubble may look darker and coarser because it has not yet been exposed to sun and other wearing elements. Once it grows in, it looks identical to the hair that was shaved away.

5. Men with big feet also have big penises
 
It is true that the development of penises and toes (as well as clitorises and fingers) are influenced by the same gene. But the length of one does not predict the length of the other.

In a study of more than 3,000 men, no correlation was found between the self-reported size of feet and that of the crown jewels.

A 2002 study, headed by Jyoti Shah at St. Mary's Hospital in London, compared foot size to carefully measured privates (all 104 penises were stretched to their longest length for consistency.) No correlation was found.