Women often get cold more easily than men — a mouse study offers hints why
A new study points to testosterone and proteins in the skin as reasons why males and females experience temperatures differently.
A study published in the Journal of Physiology reveals that women tend to feel cold more easily than men, and testosterone may be the reason why. Researchers from King's College London conducted an experiment with mice to investigate this phenomenon. They discovered that female mice have a higher preferred temperature compared to male mice, approximately 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) higher.
This difference is attributed to the activation of heat and cold sensors in their skin, which are influenced by testosterone levels. In male mice, deleting or blocking the warmth-detector protein reduced their preference for warmer temperatures, while females with the same genetic modification did not experience a change. Furthermore, giving male mice testosterone increased their preferred temperature, while female mice given testosterone lost their preference for warmer temperatures.
Although the exact mechanism behind the impact of testosterone on sensor proteins remains unclear, this research offers valuable insights into the workings of temperature-sensing proteins and their role in regulating temperature perception.
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