Body Symmetry and Physical Strength in Human Males

Objectives: Body symmetry and physical strength in males have been related to aspects of mate "quality"-women seem to prefer men who display both "good genes" (as indexed by high symmetry/developmental health) and fighting ability (as indexed by physical strength). Here we show that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of the body and physical strength are negatively correlated. Methods: Body FA (from 12 paired traits) and handgrip strength (HGS; a measure of muscular power and force) were measured in a sample of 69 heterosexual, right-handed men (18-42 years). Results: There were positive correlations of body symmetry with HGS after controlling for the effect of body-mass-index. Conclusions: We conclude that in males, body symmetry and physical strength are correlated such that symmetric individuals tend to develop higher strength, which may contribute to their success in inter-and intra-sexual selection. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.