New study reveals how you can tell if somebody has a high body count

You've probably not spent much of your spare time wondering about how often your peers get down and dirty in the sheets...

But for those you do, a new study has revealed a simple sign which you can look out for.

Unless you're auditioning for Love Island or Too Hot to Handle - where some contestants boast about bedding hundreds of lovers as a badge of honour - most of us aren't really disclosing the number of sexual partners we've had in a conversation over the office water cooler.

But if you really want to know, then a study from Washington State University has revealed a certain physical trait you should look out for.

And apparently, it all comes down to how often you're hitting the gym.

A new study has revealed a simple way to gauge how high a person's body count it, not that it matters (Getty Stock Images)

According to the study, which involved data from 4,300 participants, researchers found that a person's upper body strength correlates to the number of sexual partners they've had.

The results, which are applicable to all genders, suggest that a higher level of muscle mass equates to more notches on the bedpost. Yes really.

"We found a main effect of strength on mating success proxied by lifetime number of sexual partners and current partnered status," an extract from the study reads.

The researchers suggest this is likely tied to evolutionary biology, as it would historically make sense for a human to seek out a physically strong partner during times where hunting for food was essential to survival.

Of course, the study won't be universally applicable to everyone, as one super buff gym goer may be so preoccupied with cutting macros and lifting weights that they don't have the time to sink in to awkward first dates.

Meanwhile, someone who isn't putting in endless hours at the gym will have a lot more free time to get out there and actually meet people.

Gym goers will of course be ecstatic to read this (Getty Stock Images)

The research follows previous studies examining the 'ideal' number of sexual partners a person should have in their lifetime.

According to the Social Psychological and Personality Science, the 'magic number' of partners is apparently four to five for men and two to three for women, while the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the average women has 4.3 sexual partners throughout her life.

For men, this figure is slightly higher, clocking in at 6.3 partners across their lifetime.

Of course, none of this research should be taken as gospel, as the actual ideal number of sexual partners a person has is entirely down to personal preference, and not what a research paper - or society - is telling you.