Khaberni - Although the internal body temperatures of men and women are similar and about 37 degrees Celsius, their skin temperatures differ. Women's skin is usually colder than men's, making them more sensitive to cold weather.
Men have a larger muscle mass, which increases their ability to burn calories and produce additional heat even during rest periods. Women, on the other hand, have a reduced capacity due to less muscle mass, explaining their frequent feeling of coldness.
The distribution of subcutaneous fat in women acts as an internal insulator, but it makes the skin surface colder. Also, the hormone estrogen causes blood vessels to constrict quickly when temperatures drop, maintaining warmth in the internal organs at the expense of extremities like hands and feet.
Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle play a role in the sensation of cold, as women feel colder at the start of it due to the rise in estrogen, while the sensation of warmth improves after ovulation due to an increase in progesterone.
Research has indicated that women feel more comfortable at temperatures that are two or three degrees higher than the temperatures preferred by men, and their cognitive performance is better in warmer conditions.
As age advances, the thermal gap between the genders begins to narrow. Men gradually lose muscle mass and their skin becomes thinner, while women's sensitivity to cold increases with menopause.
