As the intense summer heat envelops the outdoors, many find themselves facing a frigid atmosphere inside offices due to excessive air conditioning. This forces numerous employees, especially women, to wear additional sweaters and light blankets to stay warm.
The phenomenon of “winter in the office” has sparked lively discussions on social media. However, this is not merely a random occurrence but one that directly impacts employees’ health and productivity.
Thomas Chang, a business economist at the University of Southern California, states: “If people are not comfortable, they cannot work as well as they could.” “This sounds so obvious it’s ridiculous, but that’s what we found.” Chang’s research reveals that women tend to feel comfortable at higher temperatures compared to men. This trend is consistent not only in the office but also outdoors, at home, or in workplaces. Studies show that women are more sensitive to cold than men.
But why is that? Is there a difference between men’s and women’s bodies that determines their comfortable temperature? And are there solutions to this issue?
Women generally have less muscle than men, which means their bodies generate less heat.
1. Women are indeed less tolerant to cold than men
Like a machine in operation, the human body generates heat during all its processes, from muscles while exercising to each cell with its biochemical reactions, even when sitting still.
The problem is that for the same body weight, women generally have less muscle than men. This means their bodily functions generate less heat. Women’s bodily responses also reflect this, as they have a lower metabolic rate than men. This fundamentally makes women less tolerant to cold than men.
However, comparing the heat produced by the body, or the core temperature emanating from within, is not the whole story. There’s another parameter to consider: perceived temperature. Perceived temperature relates to how our nervous system responds to the external temperature environment.
Women have a higher body fat percentage (which acts as insulation) than men, but it is mainly concentrated in the core of the body, rather than in the limbs.
In contrast, fat even acts as a barrier between their skin and muscles, preventing the core temperature from compensating for the perceived temperature on the skin. Therefore, women often feel colder in their hands and feet than men.
Women often feel colder in their hands and feet than men.
When their hands and feet are cold, nerves instruct blood vessels to constrict earlier as a heat retention mechanism. This often results in women’s hands turning pale in cold air-conditioned environments.
Just look at your wife or female colleagues in the office, and you will see. This effect can even fluctuate with their menstrual cycle due to the influence of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Estrogen dilates blood vessels in the extremities, while progesterone can constrict vessels in the skin. In the week following ovulation, progesterone levels in women typically rise, making them particularly sensitive to cold temperatures.
If measuring skin temperature in women and men during this time, the difference can be as much as 3 degrees Celsius.
However, despite having colder hands and feet, women generally have a warmer core temperature compared to men. This is likely the origin of the saying “Cold hands, warm heart.”
Measuring skin temperature in women and men can reveal a difference of up to 3 degrees Celsius.
2. The Mechanism of Evolution
In a study published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, scientists at Tel Aviv University, Israel, found that not only humans but also birds and mammals tend to experience cold tolerance differently based on gender.
Specifically, they discovered 13 species of migratory birds and 18 species of bats in Israel that exhibit distinct habitat preferences based on temperature.
For instance, the population of bats living in caves on the slopes of Mount Hermon, Israel, is predominantly male. This area is high and has a colder climate. Meanwhile, female bats primarily reside in the warmer climate of the Sea of Galilee region.
In migratory birds, males often prefer colder areas than females during winter. Even among mammals that live in pairs or lifelong groups, similar phenomena appear, where males prefer shady spots while females like to bask in the sun. Males often climb to higher elevations while females stay in valleys, where temperatures are warmer.
To explain this, scientists propose two hypotheses:
The first hypothesis suggests that hormonal and neurological mechanisms regulate cold tolerance differently in males and females to separate the sexes.
This helps reduce competition for resources and habitats. Additionally, males may become aggressive and harm females while they are caring for young.
The second hypothesis also relates to caregiving, suggesting that females often need to bring their young to warmer areas when the offspring are not mature enough to regulate their body temperature.
Thus, the differences in thermal sensitivity mechanisms between genders may provide certain evolutionary advantages for the species.
3. How to Reconcile These Differences?
According to Dr. Tali Magory Cohen, the study’s author from Tel Aviv University, because the differences in temperature tolerance thresholds between genders are part of what evolution has programmed, what we should do is adhere to it rather than resist it.
“Returning to the human world, the key point we can make is that the difference in thermal sensation should not lead to couples arguing about air conditioning temperatures. Instead, it means couples should maintain some distance from each other so that each individual can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet,” Dr. Cohen said.
Many couples today have adopted what is called the “Scandinavian Sleeping Method.” In this method, they sleep in separate rooms or share a bed but use separate blankets. This is a way to address the differences in temperature preferences between genders.
In workplaces, this research encourages companies to design cooling systems tailored to male and female employees. Alternatively, they should implement specific improvements, such as providing additional fans for male employees and extra blankets for female employees.
These simple solutions can provide thermal comfort for each individual, meeting their gender-specific needs without affecting others sharing the same space.
