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The two free distribution titles, Shortlist and Sport, continue to power ahead in terms of sheer numbers, at 529,010 and 305,676 copies a week respectively, in the six months to the end of June 2012.

The top paid-for title in the sector continues to be Hearst Rodale's Men's Health, with a circulation of 216,336 (down 2.2% on the period), indicating consumers' love of specialist fitness titles is here to stay and that they are now mainstream titles.

Alun Williams, group publishing director of Men's Health, said; "We are not a specialist health title. We have a lot more to offer. We have travel, sport and other content. We are a healthy lifestyle title."

Dennis' rival Men's Fitness is a smaller title, but also performed well in the period, up 5.6% to 65,201.

Simon Caney, the editor of Sport magazine, said: "In Sport, we don't do much fitness because Men's Health is doing so well, and we don't want it to be just a token thing."

Zoo and Nuts, meanwhile, continue to suffer a torrid time.

Nuts, which only four years ago was selling more than 230,00 a week, now has a circulation of just  90,314 a week, down more than 20% on the year.

While Nuts' publishers will point to the brand's digital offshoots, they must be concerned about the long-term survival of the printed title.

Nuts publisher Jo Smalley, said: "Print does play a significant part of our overall reach, but it's not the whole Nuts brand story."

Smalley pointed out that Nuts has brand presence across digital, in events, and other channels.

Likewise, the once-mighty Zoo, which was selling more than 160,00 four years ago, is now down to a paltry 46,310 a week, down nearly 15% on the year.

The paid-for monthlies continue to have mixed fortunes.

FHM is the forth-ranked men's lifestyle title with a circulation of 123,844 a month, down over 20% on the year.

FHM, Zoo and Nuts have been hit incredibly hard by the internet offering similar content, full of scantily clad girls, booze and jokes, all for free.

Haymarket's Stuff magazine was down 5.2% to 76,083 in the period.

The upmarket pair of GQ and Esquire continue to roll along. GQ is up 1.6% on the year to 120,139, while Esquire is down 6% on the year to 54,072.

GQ gave away more than 8,500 copies in the period, while Esquire was inflated by more than 9,500 bulk copies.

Wired, the tech title from Condé Nast, was up 4% to 52,136 on the year.