Men are able to work out when a woman is sexually aroused by smelling their sweat, according to University of Kent boffins.

Psychologist Dr Arnaud Wisman carried out three experiments in the hope of expanding on previous research that has shown people can detect emotions, such as fear and sadness, through scent.

During the tests, men took a whiff of sweat samples taken from anonymous sexually-aroused and non-aroused women.

The men noted that the scents taken from the former were more attractive and consequently increased their sex drives.

Dr Wisman, lecturer in psychology, said: "The present studies suggest that men are sensitive to the olfactory signals of sexual arousal released by women.

"This research suggests that these signals released along with corresponding visual and auditory expressions of sexual interest can produce a stronger overall signal that increases sexual motivation.

"Sexual interest may entail more than meets the eye and we hope that the current findings encourage further research to examine the role of sexual olfactory signals in human communication."

The research paper, called Sexual Chemosignals: Evidence that Men Process Olfactory Signals of Women’s Sexual Arousal, has been published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

For more quirky and unusual stories, click here

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury