The perception of temperature varies greatly from person to person and is influenced by various factors. One such factor is body composition. Individuals with different amounts of body fat can have different experiences with temperature. For instance, people with a higher percentage of body fat tend to feel warmer than those with less body fat. This is because body fat acts as a natural insulator and helps to keep the body warm. On the other hand, people with less body fat may feel colder in the same environment, as their body is less equipped to retain heat.

Metabolic rate
Another factor that influences how people perceive temperature is their metabolic rate. The rate at which the body burns calories and generates heat can differ between persons. Those with a faster metabolic rate tend to generate more heat and, consequently, feel warmer in the same environment as those with a slower metabolic rate.

Men and women feel the temperature in a different way
There is also evidence to suggest that gender plays a role in how individuals perceive temperature. For example, women may have a lower tolerance for cold temperatures than men. One study found that women’s hands became colder than men’s hands when exposed to the same cold environment. Additionally, women may generally feel colder than men at the same ambient temperature. This can be cecause women have a higher percentage of body fat and a slower metabolic rate than men. This can affect how they perceive temperature.

Metabolic rate can influence how we feel the temperature
It is also worth noting that individual factors, such as body composition and metabolic rate, can affect how people perceive temperature regardless of their gender. For instance, a woman with a higher percentage of body fat and a slower metabolic rate may feel colder than a man who has a lower percentage of body fat and a faster metabolic rate in the same temperature.
The female hormone estrogen can make women feel colder
Furthermore, hormones may also influence how individuals perceive temperature. The female hormone estrogen, for instance, may play a role in regulating body temperature and thermal comfort. As a result, women may prefer warmer environments than men due to hormonal differences.
The perception of temperature is a complex issue that is influenced by a different factors. It can be due to different body composition, metabolic rate, gender, and hormones. While there may be some differences between how men and women perceive temperature, individual factors still play a significant role in determining a person’s thermal comfort.
Extra resources:
You might be interested in reading a book how people cope with temperature in different places. Here is a collection of some titles.
![]() | Desert Solitaire Paperback by Edward Abbey This classic book is a personal account of the author’s experiences living in the desert and how he adapted to the extreme heat and dryness. |
![]() | Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming by Anthony D. Barnosky In this book, the author explores how climate change is affecting temperature and humidity levels around the world and how this impacts ecosystems and human health. |
![]() | The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature’s Secret Signs by Peter Wohlleben In this book, the author explains how temperature and humidity affect the behavior of plants, animals, and insects, and how people can use these signs to predict the weather and adapt to different environments. |
There are several animals that are able to tolerate extremely cold temperatures. Arctic foxes can survive temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celcius.
Among mammals there are animals that can tolerate even 55 degrees Celsius. There are also some creatures that can even survive boiling.