Two hearts really DO beat as one if you're in love....Hmmmm....

Couples in love often share the same interests, finish eat to the same rhythm. Scientists found that a couple's breathing patterns and heart rates would match up after sitting close to each other. They didn't even have to be holding hands or talking for this to happen.  However, a similar effect was not seen among stranger.

The team from the University of California, Davis, were studying the physical effects of being in a relationship. They discovered there was more to it than their hearts both skipping a beat at the sight of each other. Study leader Professor Emilio Ferrer, said: 'We’ve seen a lot of research that one person in a relationship can experience what the other person is experiencing emotionally, but this study shows they also share experiences at a physiological level.'

The team conducted a series of exercises on 32 straight couples, who were connected to heart rate and respiration monitors. They were asked to sit a few feet away from each other in a quiet, calm room but not to speak or touch. At one point they were told to mirror the movements of one another.

The data revealed both partners showed similar patterns of heart rate and respiration, but women tended to adjust theirs to their partners more. 'In other words, we found that women adjust in relationship to their partners,' said Jonathan Helm, a UC Davis doctoral student. 'Her heart rate is linked to her partner’s. I think it means women have a strong link to their partners - perhaps more empathy.' 

The couples were then mixed up and performed the same exercises with a stranger. This time their hearts did not show synchrony, nor did their breathing closely match. It follows a study at Denmark's Aarhus University that found watching a friend go through a stressful situation can synchronise both of your heart rates. In the experiment, when a spectator observed a relative or friend walk across hot coals, both the onlooker and performer's heart rates changed at the same time.

The research, published in PNAS, suggests social bonds are more powerful than people may realise.

Study leader Ivana Konvalinka, said the results show that 'we can find markers of emotional connectedness in bodily measures as well - it's not just a cognitive effect.' Mr Helm said of the latest study that his team are not yet sure why couples mimic each other and will next study whether there could be any health benefits. The research has been published in the American Psychological Association journal Emotion.