SCIENCE has confirmed what men around the world have always known to be true: the man cold is real.

When the dreaded bug strikes, women have a much stronger immune response to the virus than men, according to Queensland researchers.

Man colds are true, according to new research.

Led by Professor John Upham from the University of Queensland's school of medicine, the five-member research team established that gender was a factor in how the immune system reacts to rhinoviruses, the viruses that usually cause the common cold.

Significantly, these differences disappear after women reach menopause - indicating they are probably regulated by sex hormones.