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Nuts recorded an ABC of 290,337 copies and Zoo, which is soon to be revamped, reported a circulation of 200,125 copies six months after the two titles launched, backed by £8m advertising campaigns.

The healthy circulations have vindicated the investment the publishers have ploughed into the titles to open up a new market and helped pushed the men's market to 2,562,646 copies up from 2,029,086 12 months earlier.

Tim Brooks, managing director of IPC ignite!, said: "The numbers speak for themselves. Our faith in our product, and in the potential of a weekly market for men, is more than vindicated."

However, the real test will come six months down the line because two more men's weeklies are set to enter the market. Cut from H Bauer and KO! from Northern & Shell are hoping to cash in on the new sector

Part of the price of the success in the men's weekly market has been paid by men's monthlies, with Loaded and Maxim both down sharply. Market leader FHM suffered to a lesser degree but its circulation has fallen below the 600,000 mark.

IPC's Loaded is the biggest faller, down 10.6% in the past six months to 235,140 copies, while Maxim fell by a smaller margin to 227,017, down 6.7%.

FHM was down 4.6% on the past six months and by a similar figure for the year to 573,713. Crucially, the recently revamped Emap title has slipped beneath December's ABC figure of 601,166 copies. In doing so it has passed the title of the UK's top selling magazine to Conde Nast's Glamour, which is now selling 605,747 copies, up 4%.

There are more disappointing figures elsewhere in the men's market. The National Magazine Company's Esquire fell 8.6% to 64,136 copies; Dennis-owned Bizarre was down by a similar 8.2% to 87,331.

Esquire's rival, the Conde Nast-owned GQ, fared better, recording a small gain of 0.5% to 124,685 copies. IPC's upmarket interior magazine Wallpaper* was static with 107,800 copies.

Also in the men's lifestyle sector, Rodale-owned Men's Health continues to hold its position, edging up just 0.3% to 221,049.

There was better news for Haymarket Publishing, whose Stuff jumped 8% to 70,230 copies, making it the biggest gainer in the men's market.

In the health sector, Men's Fitness put on 3.3% to 62,008 copies.

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