We all have those days where we have spurts of inspiration and motivation to be fit and live healthier. For most, that feeling fades the second we lace up our shoes or try to eat nothing but a salad for dinner. Well, the good news is that some people actually are cut out for insane physical ability more than others.

Some traits people are just born with, while others are earned through rigorous training and a yearning to be the best. Try to see this article through your rose-colored glasses. Any super-athlete will say that no matter how much natural talent you have, your skills need to be honed. In other words, don’t let this list turn optimism to pessimism when it comes to working out. The struggle is real.

10 VO₂ Max

“VO₂” means the volume of oxygen taken up by muscles during physical activity.^[1] There is some debate over whether high maximum intake levels are dependent on natural ability or if the body can be trained to increase oxygen uptake. Most scientists have settled on an idea that gifted runners are born with a higher VO₂ max, but it can still be improved slightly (maybe 5–20%) with high-intensity training. This is a very important factor in competitive running for both sprinters and marathoners because the more oxygen their muscles can take in, the less fatigued they will become during a race. More oxygen means less lactic acid buildup, which is the cause of soreness and tired muscles.

VO₂ max is commonly measured in high-end athletics, which involve a lot of cardio work such as running, cycling, and even skiing. Looking at the maximum oxygen uptake levels of Olympic-level athletes, sprinters generally have a higher VO₂ max than marathoners. This could show how natural body characteristics determine what type of sport a person is best at. Steve Prefontaine, a runner with a mile time of 3:54.6, shows a VO₂ max of 84.4, whereas top marathoner Derek Clayton’s VO₂ max is 69.7. Sprinters must be highly efficient at getting oxygen to their muscles, while marathoners run at a relatively slower pace and maintain more steady breathing.

9 Fast And Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers

Fast and slow twitch muscle fibers define what kind of running one would be best at. While VO₂ max is a compilation of important factors, muscle fibers can be a deal breaker. Everybody has both fast and slow twitch fibers, but the ratio is different for everyone. Some people have about 50 percent of each, while others can have as few as just 20 percent of one type. Sprinters generally have a high density of fast twitch muscle fibers, whereas marathon runners have high densities of slow twitch muscle fibers. The real difference between the two types of cells is the way they produce energy, which is a very important factor in running because sprinters and marathoners utilize energy in very different ways.

Slow twitch muscle fibers have organelles called mitochondria, which actively expel energy in the form of ATP. Fast twitch muscle fibers rely on stored ATP molecules.^[2] This means that fast twitch muscle fibers have a faster reaction time because they aren’t actively creating energy during a run. With this in mind, it makes sense that sprinters utilize fast twitch muscle fibers more than slow twitch. Recalling those memories of muscle images from high school biology books, the darker red muscle fibers are slow twitch, and the lighter white fibers are fast twitch. Red slow twitch fibers contain high levels of myoglobin, allowing them to stay oxygenated, while white fast twitch fibers don’t contain as much blood, making them appear lighter.

8 Lactate Levels

Lactic acid is produced during rigorous activity, when oxygen cannot be distributed to muscles quickly enough. When oxygen supplies are low and lactic acid increases, hydrogen ions are released, causing that burning muscle sensation we’re all so very fond of. The lactate threshold (LT) is assessed to help target an ideal workout intensity. LT is the point at which lactate begins to rapidly build up in the blood and is measured in either heart rate or running speed. Generally, workouts which fall in the middle area of lactate levels will increase running capabilities.^[3]

Lactate levels are one of the aspects of physical fitness that do not rely on natural components so much as training. Competitive runners will hit an LT at around 85 percent of their maximum heart rate. The more a person runs, the more their muscles will acclimate to it, and they will not overcompensate with high amounts of lactate.

7 Peak Age

There have been a few recent studies done to show what age is the best for runners, and they’re good news. The studies have shown that unlike many other sports, runners of all ages can achieve their goals; it really just depends on how hard they train. That being said, this mostly pertains to distance running. The studies have shown that speed will deteriorate long before endurance.^[4] Fast twitch muscle fibers are the first to go, and on average, maximum heart rate decreases one beat per year as we age. Scientists have not yet discovered the reason behind this, but it is clearly related to the human aging process.

There are many stories about older competitors running their fastest marathon times once they hit age 60. The only aspect of running that really becomes more difficult with age is recovery time. While older runners do not necessarily have less endurance, it may take longer for their muscles to recover from a difficult workout, although this, too, is relative. Muscles store glycogen, which helps mend soreness and fatigue. Older people generally lose muscle mass and therefore glycogen and the ability to make a speedy recovery. However, if a steady routine is maintained, the affects of glycogen loss can be curbed significantly, allowing runners to hit their prime as late as their seventies.

6 Resting Heart Rate

This is definitely a trait that people are born with and will not change based on workouts. Studies have shown that runners very commonly have lower resting heart rates than your average Joe. A typical resting heart rate is between 66 and 72 beats per minute in a healthy adult, but competitive athletes will have resting heart rates around 40 beats per minute.^[5] (One man was measured at only 28!) A low resting heart rate grants an athletic edge. It means that it doesn’t require as much energy to pump blood through the body. In athletes, low heart rate indicates a very healthy heart and healthy, oxygenated blood.

During a workout, the blood can pump up to seven times as much blood through the body as it does while at rest. This is triggered by an increased need for blood and oxygen in muscles. Athletes who run frequently prompt a change in their autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions such as a person’s heartbeat. All of this being said, many factors can influence heart rate besides exercise, and a low heart rate is not always a sign of health, especially in non-elite athletes. Maintaining balance between parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity is what will ultimately lead to a healthier heart rate. Plainly put, that means a healthy balance between rest and activity.

5 Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum heart rate is obviously directly linked to resting heart rate, and elite athletes are just a little bit different from the rest of us normal weekend joggers. You might think that athletes can go faster and work harder, which results in a higher heart rate, but this isn’t the case. In relation to having a lower resting heart rate, athletes will also have a slightly lower maximum heart rate, allowing them to not feel as overworked when achieving amazing speeds and top-shelf endurance levels.

Max heart rate is very important to monitor for competitive athletes, because it helps determine a target heart rate for workouts. Generally, the target heart rate should be between 50 to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate. Keep in mind that heart rates differ and can be indicators of different factors from person to person. For example, women’s hearts usually beat four to five times more per minute, either at resting or at max.^[6] Either way, elite athletes have managed to shift the entire heart rate scale down. I always thought they made it look easy somehow.

4 Oxygen Systems

There are a few different types of systems with different methods of transporting oxygen to muscles during a workout. The overall categories include aerobic and anaerobic, meaning when oxygen is readily available and when it is not, respectively.^[7] An aerobic system uses oxygen that is available, whereas anaerobic systems have no available oxygen and must find another way to restore muscles.

During heavy exercise, the body quickly exhausts it oxygen stores. Oxygen can be depleted in as little as ten seconds depending on the intensity of the activity. The body will then change to an anaerobic pathway, which will readily produce energy in the form of ATP to help fuel the muscles. This process can also cause that burning muscle sensation we all know too well, and the body can adapt to and become used to the process. Elite athletes have trained their bodies to both tolerate low oxygen and use other systems efficiently.

3 Altitude Training

Altitude training is a tried and true tool used by elite athletes, particularly runners and swimmers. “High-altitude” in this case is defined as at least 2,100 meters (7,000 ft) above sea level, while 1,200 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level and below is considered low-altitude, although 1,200 meters is still pretty high up, as any exploding bag of chips will tell you. Using this kind of training is one of the ways to slightly change the physiology of your body to help excel in cardio athletics. It has been studied extensively by scientists working with the Olympics to develop new training methods. One scientist received the largest and longest-lasting grant that has ever been given in the name of the Olympics to study it, to the tune of ten years.

Higher altitude levels have less available oxygen in the air, resulting in less oxygen being dispersed to muscles. This makes it necessary to work harder and exert more force and energy during a workout. After returning to a lower altitude, the body still is used to a higher level of exertion. In addition, in high altitude, the body will compensate by creating extra red blood cells to carry oxygen more efficiently, which adds another advantage at lower altitudes. However, scientists suggest that to gain full benefits of altitude training, athletes must spend at least 12 to 15 hours per day in high altitude for the duration of the training so that the body can acclimate.^[8] It is a rigorous process, but it also boasts significant results.

2 Tarahumara

The Tarahumara are a tribe of incredibly able long-distance runners living in Mexico. They embody the perfect example of what a life of running does. The tribe has always lived in huts that are fairly spread out, and they spend days running from village to village, often covering hundreds of miles, without stopping to sleep or eat.^[9] They are also known for their handmade alcohol, which they drink in excess. This somehow does not inhibit their running. The abilities of the Tarahumara are truly unparalleled. Running is their way of life, as they do not use modern technology and live in a very secluded environment, essentially only interacting with their fellow tribe members.

And if you hate toe shoes, the book that made them famous was based around the lives of the Tarahumara. They run in extremely minimalistic sandals, which basically consist of a slab of rubber tied onto the foot in whatever way works. The Tarahumara are cited as evidence for the idea, often espoused by toe shoe enthusiasts, that the foot has evolved over thousands of years to perform perfectly without two and a half inches of padding. Whether or not you personally agree with the theory popularized by toe shoes, there is no denying the physical capabilities of the Tarahumara.

1 Women In Ultrarunning

There is no question that men can generally outcompete women in athletics. Men are built bigger, stronger, and faster. This is not to say that women cannot be incredibly athletic and can never beat men. In fact, there is one sport where women have proven to be equally as talented as their male counterparts. Ultrarunning is technically any race that is longer in distance than a marathon. They range anywhere from 50 to well over 160 kilometers (30–100 mi), meaning that competitors will run for days on end with little or no sleep and often with no other people around. To many of us, the idea that anyone would do this, and pay an entry rate, seems ludicrous. But it happens.

With distance running, results have shown that the longer the distance of the race, the smaller the gap becomes between the finishing times of men and women. The science behind it is as follows: In activities such as sprinting, women are at a disadvantage because of their smaller frames and less muscular builds. However, this same downfall is an advantage in ultrarunning. The sport isn’t so much about speed as it is about endurance, and women tend to have higher fat stores than men, which also helps to retain liquid.^[10] It can take days for this to pay off, which becomes clear on the trail. There may come a day quite soon when the top women can outcompete the top men in the same race purely due to well-adapted physiology.

Check out my other published lists for more interesting facts, and check out my blog! Thanks a bunch!

In many ways Britain and America are so close that they seem very familiar.

However, although they may share a common language (almost) there are some key differences between the 2 nations that travelers may not be aware of.

Movies and TV have done much to make us think that we know what life is like in other countries, but TV can only show you so much.

Here are some cultural differences you may not be aware of.

See Also: 20 Differences That Confuse Us All

10Good Morning America (And Britain)

Americans typically begin their day with a cup of coffee, either a plain ‘cup of joe’ or something fancier with frothy milk and syrups, and they consume 400 million cups a day. Britons, on the other hand, begin their day with tea. Unlike the few American tea-drinkers, 98% of British tea drinkers add milk to their tea.^[1]

While Americans may debate the relative merits of lattes and cappuccinos, Britons argue about whether to put the milk in first or last, and whether the tea should be made in a pot or a mug. Some Britons get upset if the milk is added in the wrong order. While Britain may not have elaborate tea-drinking ceremonies, such as they have in Japan, they do have Afternoon Tea, which is tea (served in a pot, with the milk in a jug, so you can please yourself). It is also accompanied by tiny cucumber sandwiches, and a Cream Tea, which is not tea at all, but a scone filled with jam and cream.^[2]

And then there is the question of whether you put the jam at the bottom, or the cream.

Which is also very important.

Apparently.

9Leave Leave Leave

Although workplaces are often very similar on both sides of the Atlantic, working practices can be very different. Americans tend to work longer hours and have fewer breaks than their counterparts in Britain. The British working day typically begins at 9.00 and finishes at 5.00, and in that time, workers will have a minimum of 30 mins for lunch, and very often an hour, as well as 2 short breaks, (tea breaks). Americans often eat their lunch while they work, whilst Britons either go out for lunch or eat away from their desks.

American workers have no automatic right to paid holidays, although around 10 days paid holidays is often offered. British workers get at least 20 days, and usually have bank holidays too, giving them 28 days a year minimum. Many employers also have incentive schemes boosting paid holidays up to 35 days or more a year.

British workers also have paid leave for sickness. Maternity leave is 39 weeks at 90% of their normal wage (and which can be divided between mother and father if they wish), with paid other leave often offered for compassionate or child-care reasons.

American employers are much better at providing benefits to their employees, especially bonuses, life insurance and retirement benefits. British employers do pay into pension funds but at a much lower rate. A few also offer private medical insurance, although that is not considered a necessity in Britain because they have access to free medical care.^[3]

8Food Glorious Food (And Drink)

At the end of a long day at work, what can be better than a night out? While it should be a pleasurable social activity, transatlantic visitors may soon find themselves confused about dining etiquette. Americans tend to tip generously, Britons tend to tip only in high-class restaurants, and then only sparingly. They never tip waitresses in diners (cafes) or bars (pubs).

If they can’t finish their meal, Americans often take home a doggy bag to eat the following day. This is accepted, and even encouraged (why waste good food, right?). Britons do not ask for doggy bags. If you find yourself in a British restaurant and you ask for one, the staff will spend 10 minutes trying to find something to put it in, and will assume that you are too poor to buy another meal.^[4]

American bars tend to have table service, whilst British pubs expect you to go to the bar. You will have to pay for each drink as you buy it, and not at the end of the night, and pubs rarely have waitresses, unless they also serve food. To attract the attention of the bar staff you are expected to stand at the bar, holding up your money and looking hopeful. If you shout your order, wave or snap your fingers, they will ignore you. Finally, if you are in a pub and someone buys you a drink, it is not a gift, it is a round, and you are expected to buy the next round.

Sliding out of buying your round is a huge social faux pas.^[5]

7Money (Ssshhhh!)

Americans may think that they are reluctant to talk about money, but compared to the British, they are just great big blabbermouths. British people never discuss how much they earn, even with close friends and family. Surveys have shown that not only would they be embarrassed to borrow money from a friend, they would also feel embarrassed about lending it, and about asking for it back if it wasn’t returned.^[6]

People who have lots of money generally behave as if they have none, and those with none, as if they have lots, though no one is willing to specify the dollar amount that they have in the bank.

Surveys have shown that over 80% of Americans think it’s perfectly fine for people to make as much money as they can. British people, however, rarely admit to being ‘rich’, usually only describing themselves as ‘comfortable’ or ‘not starving’. It’s OK to make money, as long as you never talk about it, and never spend it. If you do spend it, it must not be in an ostentatious manner. People
who do, are called ‘nouveau riche’.^[7]

Which is not a good thing.

6On the Road

Everyone knows that drivers in Britain (or America) drive on ‘wrong’ side of the road, but that is not the only difference. British cars tend to be much smaller, perhaps because gas (petrol) is so much more expensive. Over 75% of British cars are stick-shift (manual) cars, compared with 2% in America.^[8]

When you go to buy your expensive gas, you will fill your tank first and then pay for your gas, because they are very trusting. British roads are rarely straight, and towns and cities are not laid out in a grid. Rather they meander round bends, where you can’t see what’s coming.

In America, intersections are usually managed with traffic lights, whilst in Britain they have roundabouts, where the driver on each road gives-way to the driver on their right. Sometimes everyone waits until someone moves, and then the other drivers sound their horn in annoyance.^[9]

5Making Polite Conversation

Whilst it is fair to say that neither America nor Britain has a monopoly on politeness, they do have slightly different ways of showing it. Researchers have discovered that Americans favor making people feel welcome, and making them feel good, while the British go for something rather more formal.

So, they say please and thank you, a lot, but are not likely to tell you to have a good day. They may ask how you are, but only on the understanding that you don’t tell them. It is a pleasantry only, and not a serious inquiry.

Americans also seem to be more comfortable with saying what they actually mean than the British, who are famously evasive. For example, research shows that if a Briton says something is ‘quite good,’ they hate it, and, ‘it’s probably my fault’ actually means ‘it’s your fault’.^[10]

Navigating this can be tricky, particularly as, if challenged, the Briton is likely to double-down on the pretense and insist it really is his fault.

Finally, if someone says, ‘you must come round for dinner’, it does not mean, ‘come round for dinner on Friday’ or even ‘come round for dinner soon’. It just means ‘goodbye.’^[11]

4Home Sweet Home

An Englishman’s home is his castle, they say. Which is remarkably similar to the 4th Amendment articles which uphold the sanctity of a private home. What kind of home that is, however, is rather different. The overwhelming majority of British households live in brick-built houses, whereas American houses tend to be built from timber-frames. This may be because of the high degree of wet weather.

While brick-built homes are more expensive, Britons expect their homes to stand for a minimum of 100 years, and modest private houses over 200 years old are common.^[12]

Whilst rural Americans may live in houses, many city-dwellers live in apartments. Britain has a surprisingly small number of apartments, (usually called flats), even in inner cities. Britons prefer not to share amenities with their neighbors and dislike communal living spaces. Where they are forced to share a garden, for instance, it is common to find them dividing it into tiny private gardens and building a big fence.^[13]

3The Doctor Will See You Now

The differences in access to medical care is one of the major differences between life in the US and Britain. While Britons have free access to doctors and hospitals, and receive free or heavily subsidized prescriptions, they do sometimes have to wait for treatment, whereas America has a system based on insurance payments which gives fast access to health care, as long as you have paid into the system.^[14]

British people also have the option of paying into a private system in order to beat the queues, but few bother, preferring to join the waiting list for the NHS.

Even relatively wealthy people choose to wait for free healthcare rather than ‘go private’, and paying for private healthcare is often seen as ‘jumping the queue’, and therefore bad manners.^[15]

2School’s Out

America has an education system, where pupils are tested regularly and know what targets they need to hit in order to be able to progress. The British system is rather more, well, complicated. Their schools are divided into public, private, grammar and state schools. Private schools are fee paying schools, which are usually boarding schools, but may also take day students. Contrary to what you may think, public schools are also private schools, but they form are the most elite schools, and are almost always for boarder only. Grammar schools and state schools (also called comprehensives) are free schools run by the government, but grammar schools select their pupils on the basis of ability, whilst the state schools don’t.

School tends to start earlier in Britain, with children beginning part time school at the age of 3 or 4 and full time at 5, with shorter summer holidays – 6 weeks as opposed to around 10 – 12 weeks in America. Almost all British schools insist that students wear a uniform, with a tie, whilst American students usually wear whatever they like.

Pupils take exams at 16 and 18 (if they stay that long), but do not have to take standardized tests at any other time. The overall educational attainment of students is roughly equivalent, however, students in American schools have a much larger number of extra-curricular activities. British schools tend to have a soccer team, a netball team (girls’ basketball) and maybe a chess club, while American schools offer a huge range of outside activities for kids to try.^[16]

1Three Houses and a Senate

One of the biggest differences is the system of government. Whilst both countries have 2 legislative bodies (The House of Representatives and the Senate vs The House of Commons and The House of Lords), the leaders of the country are elected differently. America has a separate presidential election, while Britain’s Prime Minister is simply the leader of the party with the greatest number of seats.

While America elects representatives to both houses, Britain’s House of Lords is not an elected chamber. It is made up of hereditary peers, bishops from the Church of England, and people who have been appointed as a life peer by the Queen.^[17]

Each session of parliament begins with The Queens Speech. Before she delivers her speech, one MP from the Commons is kidnapped and held prisoner at Buckingham Palace, in case they try to attack her. She delivers the speech from the House of Lords because she is not allowed in the Commons, and she sends someone in fancy dress, called Black Rod, to summon the MPs to her.

The door is always slammed in his face.^[18]

Which, OK, seems a bit odd, but then the American senate does have a broken gavel that they carry into each session but never use, so it evens out in the end.

About The Author: Ward Hazell is a freelance writer and travel writer, and is currently also studying for a PhD in English Literature

Stand up comedy would be nothing today without comedians making observations about the differences between men and women. And it’s likely people have been drawing various conclusions about the difference between men and women since men and women first existed. Nowadays we can rely on more than just casual observation and look at science and stats to see just how different we really are. 

10. Men Sweat More, and Sooner, Than Women

Let’s say you have a man and a woman working out together. They’re both in shape, both putting in the same amount of effort, doing the same amount of work, and both working up a sweat. Who do you think is going to sweat more?

As it happens, men really do sweat more than women and that’s backed up by research. In fact, men will start sweating sooner than women and will sweat about twice as much overall. Women have to put in a lot more work to start sweating. 

In one study, men lost twice as much moisture from their foreheads, back, check, forearms and thighs during the course of a workout. And while they may sound like a boon for women, it actually indicates that men’s bodies tend to work more efficiently at staying cool when they’re working. Part of this is thanks to testosterone levels, which are believed to aid in sweat production. 

9. Men are Twice as Likely to Gamble as Women

Anyone can find themselves caught up in the thrill of a game of chance or a game of skill, especially when money is on the line. It’s hard to deny the thrill of gambling and winning. But people do tend to fail far more often than they succeed. So who’s most likely to get sucked into this dynamic?

Men tend to be more inclined than women to gamble by a significant margin. Study results have shown that men are around twice as likely to gamble as women. And among members of both sexes who gamble, 20.1% of men would qualify as “problem gamblers” while only 7.8% of female gamblers qualify. 

Another study has shown that it doesn’t take a lot to convince a man to make a risky financial decision, either. In fact, if a fortune teller gives a man a good fortune, that man is more likely to make a risky gamble as a result. 

8. Men Tend to Say I Love You Earlier Than Women

Have you ever seen a movie or TV, usually a comedy, in which a male character stumbles over trying to tell a woman he loves her? And he legitimately can’t form the word? This stems from some sort of belief that men have trouble admitting their feelings but research shows the exact opposite is true. In fact, men tend to profess their love as much as six weeks earlier than women, on average. 

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean men are more sensitive and loving than we at first thought. Other research has shown that men seem to prefer hearing from a woman that the woman loves them before they consummate their relationship sexually than after. It’s possible, therefore, that men jump the gun on saying I love you in the hopes that the woman will return the sentiment and sex can therefore occur sooner in a way that the man finds acceptable. 

7. Men Are 88.7% More Likely to Win a Darwin Award 

The Darwin Awards are one of the internet’s historical relics, dating back to 1993. The idea of the awards is to celebrate, after a fashion, people who have improved the human genome by “accidentally removing themselves from it.” In other words, people who died by what has been deemed a stupid accident. It’s a morbidly funny concept, and it’s been going strong for a very long time now. 

Some may be surprised to learn and others may be less surprised to learn that Darwin Award winners are overwhelmingly men. In fact, men make up 88.7% of all Darwin Award winners. This extends well beyond silly internet awards as well as explained by something called the “Male Idiot Theory.” Please don’t be offended, that’s the name someone else gave it.

Based on data related to mortality rates and info from hospital emergency rooms, men are just far more likely to be injured accidentally or playing sports. They also have worse automobile accidents and all of this together has built some observable evidence that men take more stupid risks than women regardless of culture and socioeconomic factors. 

Researchers actually poured over 20 years worth of Darwin Awards data to prove, legitimately, that men are more prone to doing stupid things than women. Selection And reporting bias likely affect the numbers to some degree, but that massive 88.7% difference is more than mildly significant. 

6. Women are Far More Likely to Live a Vegan Lifestyle

Women are more likely to be vegan and that’s a fact. At least one study found that only 24% of vegans are men. Another study bumped the number up to 37%, which is still clearly very low. There’s a good chance this comes, in part, from the way we have traditionally looked at meat. Meat is manly. It doesn’t need to make sense, it’s just the way it has always been presented to us. Men grill meat and eat steaks and burgers and so on. Women are often portrayed as being daintier and eating salads and so on. Maybe it’s all stereotyping and based on no real facts at all, but numbers don’t lie.

Psychologists have observed that men are often fearful of appearing to do anything that isn’t masculine. And they will even amp up their perceived manliness in the aftermath of performing a task considered feminine. In the face of a complete lifestyle overhaul, such as going vegan, this is a stumbling block for manly men. This includes for health reasons or moral reasons.

5. Men and Women Often Lie for Different Reasons

Here’s a tough one for you. Who do you think is more honest and trustworthy overall, men or women? The answer is… not that easy, either. Everyone can be deceitful, but the reasons why men and women are deceitful may be surprising. 

Research has shown that men tend to lie more often for their own benefit while women are more likely to lie for someone else’s. A man will be more likely to tell a lie that makes himself look better. He may lie about his height to seem taller, how strong he is to seem tough, how much money he makes to seem richer. In contrast, women lie about those same types of things but for the opposite reasons. They’ll lie about their age to seem younger, their weight to seem slimmer, and their sexual partners to seem less experienced. So men lie to boost and women lie to minimize.

Some studies show women are more likely to lie, as much as twice as likely, in fact, as men. But the lies they tell are to be nice. That means to spare someone’s feelings or make them feel better. They will also lie to help boost someone, such as if they have to advocate for someone else in some way, while men tend to not go out on a limb for another person in that way. 

4. Men are Far More Likely to Get Skin Cancer Than Women

There’s a common stereotype that men are a little more stubborn about their own health than women. They will do less to care for themselves and the evidence seems to back this up, especially in terms of skin cancer rates. By the time they reach age 80, men are three times as likely to get skin cancer as women are. White men over 55 are the most likely to be diagnosed with melanoma in America compared to any other group. 

A major part of this discrepancy is that women, by and large, do far more for their own skin care than men. This includes makeup and moisturizers that have an SPF. Only 14% of men wear sunscreen when they go out. A large number of men are unaware of the dangers of the sun as well. Only 56% of men surveyed knew that there is no such thing as a healthy tan compared to 76% of women. 

Part of the problem here is that sunscreen is marketed very specifically to women. The imagery and language use is very explicitly directed at women and this harkens back to what we know about veganism already. Men don’t want to be perceived as being less than manly and will avoid things considered feminine, even if it literally kills them. 

3. Men are Much More Likely to Be Struck by Lightning Than Women

There’s a good chance you never worry about being hit by lightning because why would you? The CDC says you have less than a one in a million chance of being hit in any given year. That said, your odds do increase if you’re a man. You’re four times as likely to be struck, in fact, compared to women.

Between 2006 and 2016, there were 352 people who were struck and killed by lightning. Of those, 79% of the victims were men. The reason men are the more common victims could be accounted for when you factor in what most of the victims are doing. About 90% of the male victims were fishing or playing sports, meaning they were outside and likely holding something that essentially worked as a lightning rod. The lesson here is that, if a storm rolls in, drop the rod or the golf clubs for your own safety. 

2. Men Fart Much More Often Than Women

No doubt the one question that has plagued you for years is who farts more, men or women? Well, science has your answers so you can rest easy. You may have long speculated that men were the gassier sex, and you were right. Men are actually working them out almost twice as often as women. This has been studied by real scientists. 

When 60 men and 60 women were tasked with tracking their gas, men had an average of 12.7 farts per day. The women only clocked in with an average of 7.1. One man pulled off a whopping 53 in a day. The leading woman tapped out at 32.

Obviously diet will have the greatest effect on this and it’s not consistent from one day to another, but the general conclusion still stands. Men are just a little windier than women. 

1. Far More Men Than Women Don’t Wash Their Hands After Using a Bathroom

Of all the differences between men and women, few are likely to make you feel as uncomfortable as this one. We’re looking at bathroom habits and what we’re seeing isn’t good. A full 15% of men do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom. Of the remaining 85% who do wash their hands, only 50% use soap. 

On the flip side, 7% of women are disinclined to clean up after using the restroom, and 78% will use soap out of those who do. More off putting is that only 5% of all participants washed their hands long enough to kill the kinds of germs that can make you sick. This is based on results from 3,749 participants. 

Now maybe that was just one study that had curious results. What does the CDC say? According to them, 69% of men won’t wash their hands after using a public bathroom, compared to 35% of women.

Both of these studies are getting pretty old at this point, the first from 2013 and the second from 2009. Perhaps after Covid people’s habits have changed but for now, you may want to assume any hands you shake aren’t as clean as they could be.