Winter has arrived, and the cold is intensifying in the northern regions of the country. Many people have started wrapping themselves in warm clothes. However, there is a common belief that women feel colder than men. To find out how scientifically accurate this notion is, researchers from the United States conducted a study this year.
The results of the study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States were surprising. They found no significant difference in the sensation of cold between men and women in a cold environment. Physical reactions also showed very minimal gender-based differences.
To examine this, a group of 28 men and women was placed in a temperature-controlled room for five hours. They were dressed in shirts, shorts or skirts, and socks. Participants' physical conditions were observed daily. The room temperature was varied between 17°C and 31°C, and researchers surveyed how comfortable the participants felt at different temperatures.
In colder conditions, women’s body temperatures were slightly higher than men’s. However, there were no gender-based differences in glucose consumption, muscle electrical activity, skin temperature, or heat production in response to cold.
The female participants were physically smaller than the male participants, and their bodies produced less overall heat. However, because women generally have a higher fat percentage, their bodies could maintain equilibrium better.
The researchers noted that women require an ambient temperature of about 22°C to remain comfortable, which is about one degree lower than the average for men. This suggests that women’s bodies do not generate heat as quickly as men’s when the temperature drops, making them less tolerant of cold.
Despite this, the gender-based difference doesn’t offer women any significant advantage. When the temperature dropped to 17°C, there was no difference between men and women in shivering, comfort, or discomfort levels. Previously, scientists believed women felt cold faster than men due to producing less heat, losing more heat, or needing more warmth. However, recent findings show that these assumptions are not entirely accurate. Still, this small study is unlikely to end the debate, and more observational research is necessary.
Historically, gender differences in body temperature have received little attention in research. Most studies on human physiology have focused on male bodies, assuming the findings apply equally to both genders. This limited perspective has overlooked critical factors such as how hormonal changes or medication can influence an individual’s response to temperature changes.
The study was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
📌 Source: Science Alert