Are you and your significant other always playing chess with the thermostat settings? When the men in the office turn on the air conditioning, do you reach for warm tea and a sweater?
You're not alone. If you polled most of the women you know, the majority would probably say that they always seem to be noticeably colder than the men around them. Is this all in our heads, or is there evidence to prove that women are usually colder than men?
It's a real thing. And here is the science to prove it.
1. Your Hands and Feet are Cooler
When you feel cold, the first place you typically feel it is in your poor hands and feet. This is when you start reaching for a warm cup of something, or big and warm socks like heat holders original to try to keep yourself as warm as possible.
When your brain starts to sense that the body feels cold, your body will start to conserve heat. This often leads to a process called vasoconstriction where the blood vessels in your hands and feet will contract to keep your body's core warm, and lower blood flow makes the hands and feet feel colder.
If your hands or feet feel cold, the rest of you feels cold. It's that simple.
2. Your Core Temperature is Probably Higher
There is proven research that shows us that women often have a slightly higher internal temperature than men. But wouldn't that mean we would feel warmer? Not exactly.
A higher internal temperature will actually make you feel colder, as counterintuitive as that may sound. When your interior is warm, you're going to notice cold air and drafts on your skin.
3. The Birth Control Pill Increases Your Internal Temperature
You're even more likely to have a higher internal temperature if you're on the birth control pill.
Hormonal birth control can bring your internal temperature up even higher, which will result in you being even more sensitive to cold air and colder rooms.
4. You Have a Slower Metabolic Rate
You probably already know this. And you probably already hate this.
Unfortunately, women usually have a slower metabolic rate and slower metabolism than most men. Besides frustrating us to no end, it also means our bodies aren't warmed by the process of burning food in the same way that men will experience.
5. You (Probably) Have Lower Muscle Density
If you want to feel warm, try getting "swole." Thinner women, men, and the elderly are more likely to struggle with feeling cold.
Another major factor in how cold or warm you feel is the amount of muscle mass you have compared to the surface area of your body. The less muscle mass a body has, the more the brain will signal to the body that it's time to start conserving heat.
There you have it: Five science-based reasons that explain why you're (seemingly) cold most of the time. Feel free to recite any of them the next time someone gives you grief about turning the heat up.
You're welcome!
