New Study Links Higher Intelligence In Men To Strength, Masculine Physique And Fewer Hookups

New research suggests that young men with higher intelligence tend to have more masculine body proportions and stronger grip strength, while also reporting fewer casual sexual partners. The findings add new evidence to the idea that cognitive ability may serve as one outward marker of broader biological fitness.

The study, published in Evolutionary Psychological Science, examined how intelligence, physical characteristics, and sexual behavior cluster together in a sample of college-aged men in the United States. According to the researchers, these traits may reflect a shared underlying factor connected to overall genetic and physical health.

General Fitness And Intelligence

In evolutionary biology, some scientists propose the existence of a broad “general fitness” factor, where genetic quality influences multiple physical and psychological traits simultaneously. This concept is partly tied to pleiotropy, a process in which a single gene can affect several different biological systems, including immunity, physical development, and brain function.

According to this framework, individuals carrying fewer harmful genetic mutations may display stronger functioning across many domains of health and performance. Previous research has linked higher intelligence with traits such as taller stature, improved physical health, and greater bodily symmetry, suggesting possible overlap in their genetic foundations.

At the same time, the relationship between intelligence and reproductive success has remained more complicated. Some demographic studies have found that highly educated or high-IQ individuals tend to have fewer children, creating apparent tension with the idea that intelligence necessarily reflects evolutionary advantage.

How The Study Was Conducted

The new study focused on 41 men between the ages of 18 and 33 who were enrolled at a Midwestern university in the United States and completed all research procedures. Researchers also analyzed an expanded dataset involving 66 men from the same project to strengthen the statistical analysis.

Participants completed a shortened version of the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices, a widely used assessment of fluid intelligence. The test measures the ability to recognize patterns, solve unfamiliar visual problems, and reason abstractly without relying heavily on learned knowledge.

The participants also completed a standardized questionnaire about sexual behavior, focusing specifically on real-life casual sexual experiences rather than fantasies or attitudes. This allowed researchers to estimate involvement in uncommitted sexual encounters.

To assess physical characteristics, researchers measured shoulder and hip circumference using measuring tape and calculated each participant’s shoulder-to-hip ratio. Higher ratios indicate a more pronounced V-shaped torso, a body shape commonly associated with muscularity, physical strength, and perceived attractiveness.

Grip strength was measured using a digital hand dynamometer. Participants performed three maximum-effort squeezes with each hand, and average strength values were recorded in kilograms. Researchers also measured height and weight to calculate body mass index.

Intelligence, Strength, And Body Shape

Analysis of the main sample showed that men with higher fluid intelligence scores tended to display stronger left-hand grip strength and higher shoulder-to-hip ratios. These associations remained visible when intelligence was analyzed as a continuous trait rather than divided into categories.

When researchers expanded the analysis to the larger group of 66 men, positive relationships emerged between intelligence and grip strength in both hands. This strengthened the evidence for a broader link between cognitive ability and muscular strength.

Importantly, the researchers controlled for body mass index to ensure that the findings were not simply explained by larger or heavier men performing better across all measures. Even after accounting for body size, the association between higher intelligence and a more V-shaped torso remained at least marginally significant.

Using statistical modeling techniques, the researchers identified two underlying clusters of traits. One cluster reflected general muscularity, while the second appeared to represent a broader “fitness” factor connecting higher intelligence, more masculine body proportions, and lower levels of casual sexual behavior.

Smarter Men And Sexual Behavior

One of the more surprising findings involved mating behavior. Men who scored higher on the intelligence test reported fewer casual sexual encounters, even after accounting for physical characteristics.

This complicates simplistic assumptions that greater biological fitness necessarily leads to larger numbers of sexual partners. Instead, the findings suggest that men with higher intelligence may pursue more selective, relationship-oriented, or long-term mating strategies.

Lead author Tara DeLecce emphasized that fewer casual partners should not automatically be interpreted as lower mating success. The study did not directly measure relationship quality, long-term partnerships, or reproductive outcomes.

From an evolutionary perspective, stable pair bonding and long-term parental investment can also provide important adaptive advantages, especially within modern social environments. Skills linked to higher intelligence — including planning, emotional regulation, communication, and long-term decision-making — may support these relationship strategies.

Limitations And Future Directions

The researchers stress that the findings remain preliminary, partly because of the relatively small sample size. The primary analysis included only 41 men, all drawn from a single university population, limiting how broadly the results can be generalized.

The study also focused exclusively on men, since male reproductive behavior and physical variation tend to differ more widely across individuals. The same relationships between intelligence, physical traits, and mating behavior may not apply similarly to women.

Another limitation involves self-reported sexual behavior, which can be influenced by memory errors, social desirability, embarrassment, or exaggeration. Cultural expectations surrounding masculinity and sexuality may also affect how participants report casual sexual experiences.

The researchers call for larger and more diverse studies involving different countries, age groups, and cultural settings. Future research may also examine how these patterns operate across different dating environments, including online dating, cohabitation, or long-term partnerships.

Further work could explore biological mechanisms potentially linking intelligence, body composition, and mating behavior. Possible pathways include hormonal influences, developmental factors, or shared genetic mechanisms affecting both neurological and physical development.

Article prepared by Alex Morgan