There are often such scenes in TV dramas: the female lead shivering in the cold wind, a male lead silently took off his jacket to the female lead to put on. By definition, women have a higher body fat percentage than men, so why would they be more afraid of the cold?
Many girls’ hands and feet are like popsicles, a touch of cold. A survey shows that the average temperature of women’s hands and feet and ears is 1.5 degrees lower than that of men. Are girls really “cold-blooded animals”? No, women’s body core temperature is actually slightly higher than that of men. The body has to be more sensitive to cold in order to maintain a higher core temperature, and muscle tissue will turn on the warmer heat production mode. Most women’s bodies have a lower percentage of muscle than men’s, so they need to rely more on external means of insulation.
On the other hand, in order to avoid excessive heat loss from the body surface, capillary constriction occurs at the extremities, reducing blood flow there so that heat can be concentrated internally and supplied to vital organs as a priority. Women, on the other hand, have to submit their arms and legs in order to maintain a higher internal temperature.
Hormonal differences are also a key reason why women are more afraid of cold: androgens in men, such as testosterone, promote muscle growth and allow them to have a higher basal metabolic rate. One study showed that men’s basal metabolic rate is 23% higher than women’s, which means that heat production is more efficient.