Sunbathing boosts the male sex drive, suggests the findings of a new Austrian study.

The study establishes that testosterone is boosted by vitamin D. Low testosterone levels are known to adversely impact a man’s libido as well as reduce energy levels.

Testosterone also helps maintain muscle strength and bone density in both men and women.

Majority of the vitamin D is produced by the skin on exposure to sunlight. Diet is the other source through which the human body takes in vitamin D.

For the purpose of the study, researchers from the Medical University of Graz, Austria followed 2,299 men.

The findings of the study revealed that men with at least 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood had more testosterone in the blood vis-à-vis those who had little vitamin D.

Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum, a non-profit organization, in The Netherlands, said, “Men who ensure that their body is at least sufficiently supplied with vitamin D are doing good for their testosterone levels and their libido among other things.”

The study also revealed that testosterone and vitamin D levels reached their zenith in the month of August, dipped in winter and hit their lowest ebb in the month of March.

Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in Andrology at the University of Sheffield said, “Whether healthy men notice a significant changes throughout the year is less clear and I would urge men to be sensible about using sunbeds in the winter months given the known risks of using them excessively.”