‘Arctic Blast’ or ‘Cool Breeze’? Science Behind Why Women ‘Feel the Cold’ More Than Men

Various studies have suggested that women prefer a higher room temperature than men – something that triggers frequent office battles between the genders over how to set the thermostat. This leads to the question: why do men and women seem to perceive temperature differently?

There is an existing popular belief that women “feel the cold” more than men and, accordingly, tend to prefer a higher indoor temperature.

While skin temperature is associated with thermal comfort, there is no significant difference between the skin temperature of men and women. The average, for both, is widely accepted to be 37 °C (98.6 °F).

Charlotte Phelps, PhD student, and Christian Moro, associate professor of science and medicine at Bond University, Australia carried out an analysis of existing research in an attempt to probe the scientific reasons behind the difference of temperature “perception” between men and women.

Biological Facts

Biological differences are what comes into play when men and women react to temperature. Even when they are around the same body weight, women tend to have less muscle to generate heat. Furthermore, as women have a greater fat layer between the skin and the muscles, the skin is slightly further away from blood vessels. Accordingly, it “feels colder”.

The metabolic rate of women – typically lower than that of men – also makes them more prone to feeling cold when the temperature plunges.

Hormones

Oestrogen and progesterone - two hormones found in large quantities in women - contribute to their core body and skin temperatures. At the extremities, oestrogen dilates blood vessels, allowing for more heat to escape into the surrounding air.

Meanwhile, by causing vessels in the skin to constrict, the other hormone, progesterone, can result in less blood flowing to some areas to keep internal organs warmer. As this hormone balance changes throughout the month alongside the menstrual cycle, so does a woman’s reaction to and perception of cold temperatures. In the week after ovulation, as progesterone levels spike, the core body temperature is highest. This is when women may be particularly sensitive to cooler temperatures.

Another point is that these hormones are responsible for the fact that a woman’s hands, feet, and ears are around three degrees Celsius cooler than a man's. But as far as the core body temperature is concerned, women boast a higher one.

Interestingly, in a study carried out in 2019 by researchers at University of Southern California and WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany, the effect of room temperature on the performance of 543 university students was documented.

It showed that women accomplished more on math and verbal tasks when the temperature was higher, while men performed better when it was lower.

“What we recommend for summer room temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius - the equivalent of 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit to 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit. At least 80% of men and women are satisfied in that range”, Bjarne Olesen, a past president of ASHRAE, an international professional association that develops standards for indoor climate control, was cited as saying.

Interestingly, the science behind why women opt for warmer temperatures than men can also be applied to many species of birds and mammals. Studies have shown that males often congregate in cooler, shady areas, while females and their offspring stay in warmer and sunlit spots.