'21 second rule' that scientists claim everyone should follow while peeing to stay healthy

By the time you get old enough to read articles like this, you’ll hopefully have mastered peeing, but a new study has suggested something you should be considering when you go to the toilet.

Getting a wonderfully peaceful and satisfying toilet break is one of life’s simple pleasure that we can all pretty much agree on.

But the length you pee for (time not distance) could say more about your health than you might be thinking.

A group of mechanical engineering student scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted a study about pee and came to some insightful conclusions.

For the study, the team of researchers analyzed high-speed videos of animals of all different sizes peeing and coined the term 'The Law of Urination'.

It found that animals that are over three kilograms (6.6 pounds) empty their bladders over a period of around 21 seconds while smaller animals - i.e. rats - took just a fraction of a second to empty their bladders.

But this wasn't all they found, the researchers were able to confirm that duration isn't all about bladder pressure (though that is a factor) but it's tied to gravity as well.

Animals weighing more than 3kg take around 21 seconds to empty their bladders (Monica Murphy/Getty Stock Image)

Published back in 2014, the paper states: "How can bladders of both 0.5kg and 100kg be emptied in nearly the same duration? Larger animals have longer urethras, and so greater gravitational force driving flow.

"These long urethras increase the flow rate of larger animals, enabling them to perform the feat of emptying their substantial bladders over approximately the same duration."

And the study ultimately found out the ideal length of time it should take humans to wee too.

So, next time you sit down for a number one, get your stopwatch at the ready and see if you make the time of around 21 seconds.

If you end up falling short or exceeding the mark, it could be a sign you're visiting the loo too often - I see you those of you trying to avoid work - or not enough - workaholics, take note.

Holding in your pee or peeing too often isn't good for your bladder (Antonio Hugo Photo/Getty Stock Image)

If you pee too often, it could lead to you having what's known as an 'overactive bladder', while holding in your pee for too long could cause you to develop a UTI... yeah, you really want to avoid those like the plague.

It could also be a sign of kidney disease if you're an infrequent toilet-goer.

So, drink up and make sure to embrace the toilet breaks.

• Scientists say everyone should follow '21 second rule' when peeing to stay healthy
• Scientists say everyone should follow '21 second rule' when peeing to stay healthy
• Scientists reveal exactly how often 'generally healthy' people should be pooping
• Scientists claim to discover a second Sphinx in Egypt after conducting underground scans