Women subconsciously prefer the aroma of dominant men when they are at the most fertile stage of the menstrual cycle, research suggests, in a BBC Health report.

Study results, published in Biology Letters, reveals that women have evolved to seek out the most virile sexual partner when conception is likely.

Researchers in Prague asked 48 men to assess how dominant they felt.

The men then wore cotton pads in their armpits for 24 hours, which were subsequently presented to 65 women.

Each of the women taking part in the experiment rated the odour of 10 pads for their intensity, sexiness and masculinity.

The researchers found women who were ovulating were more likely to rate the odour of dominant men as sexy.

Previous research has shown that emotional state may influence perception of body odor quality.

However, the researchers admit that the exact mechanisms in play are not known.