Women are more resistant to the cold than men

2 May 2024

Women cope better than men in cold weather.

Women cope better than men in cold weather

A study suggests that female heat conservation mechanisms kick in at a lower temperature compared to males, contrary to the common thought that ladies feel the cold more.

Experts recruited 28 young and healthy volunteers (16 women and 12 men) for their research and took a number of measurements as participants were exposed to temperatures between 17C and 31C.

Analysis revealed that men began to expend energy to keep warm at around 23C but this occurred at nearer to 22C in women.

Boffins from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS): "Conventionally, women are perceived to feel colder than men, but controlled comparisons are scarce.

"We found that women had a cooler lower critical temperature, resembling an 'arctic' shift compared to men.

"The more arctic profile of women was predominantly driven by higher insulation associated with more body fat compared to men."