--- title: "Women's Temperature Sensitivity Linked to Testosterone Levels" url: https://newscentral.site/women-s-temperature-sensitivity-linked-to-testosterone-levels/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Science" published: 2026-11-07T16:00:00.000Z updated: 2026-11-07T16:43:17.030Z id: 7ebcc72c-6b4b-4aa9-8add-05cdaad967f5 source: "Live Science https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/women-often-get-cold-more-easily-than-men-a-mouse-study-offers-hints-why" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/women-s-temperature-sensitivity-linked-to-testosterone-levels/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Women's Temperature Sensitivity Linked to Testosterone Levels Research suggests that women feel chilly more easily than men due to differences in skin sensor activation triggered by testosterone levels. Women often feel chilly more easily than men, a common observation that has been noted across various species, including humans. Research conducted on mice suggests that this difference in temperature sensitivity may be linked to testosterone levels. The study found that the skin sensors responsible for detecting heat and cold are activated at higher temperatures in female mice compared to their male counterparts. This subtle distinction results in a noticeable shift in preferred temperature, with females preferring warmer environments by roughly 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) more than males. Scientists believe that testosterone plays a role in this difference, influencing the activation of these skin sensors. According to study co-author Peter McNaughton, a pharmacologist at King's College London, while this observation may seem innocuous, it has significant practical implications for designing spaces and buildings that accommodate people's varying temperature preferences. The study's findings suggest that female mice are more sensitive to cold temperatures than male mice. This is not a unique phenomenon, as it has been observed in other female animals, including birds. The researchers set out to investigate this difference by creating an experiment where mice were given the choice between two plates with different temperature settings. In one plate, the temperature was kept at 4 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), while the second plate varied between lower and higher temperatures. A camera tracked the mice's movements, calculating how much time they spent on each plate. Interestingly, when the first plate was warmer than the second, female mice still preferred to stay on the warmer plate. When the temperature difference between the two plates increased, female mice showed a more pronounced preference for the warmer plate. In one instance, where the second plate was 4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) cooler than the first, female mice spent significantly more time on the warmer plate than male mice did. This trend continued even when the temperature difference was smaller. The researchers are careful to note that the air temperature in the cage did not affect the mice's preferences, as the top of the cage was left open. Therefore, it can be inferred that the female mice's preference for warmth is driven by their skin sensors detecting changes in temperature. Research into the differences between male and female thermoregulation has led scientists to investigate how sex hormones influence temperature sensing in mice. Studies have shown that women tend to feel cold more easily than men, but the underlying reasons for this disparity are not well understood. To shed light on this phenomenon, researchers turned their attention to the genetic factors at play. By examining the role of testosterone in male mice, they aimed to uncover how sex hormones influence temperature perception. The deletion of a protein responsible for detecting warmth resulted in reduced avoidance of warmer surfaces among males, indicating that testosterone plays a crucial role in regulating heat-sensing nerves. This protein, which is also present in females but does not seem to be affected by its absence, sends signals discouraging males from staying on warm surfaces. In contrast, the preferred temperature of male mice rose significantly after this deletion. The findings suggest that sex hormones such as testosterone influence the function of temperature-sensing nerves in the skin, leading to differences in thermoregulation between men and women. This difference is not due to variations in internal or skin temperatures, which were found to be similar across sexes. The study found that when male mice were given a drug to block testosterone production, they began to prefer warmer temperatures more easily than males with normal testosterone levels. In fact, these male mice spent significantly more time on a 38 C plate weeks after the treatment compared to their counterparts without the testosterone-blocking medication. This suggests that testosterone plays a significant role in temperature regulation and perception. The researchers observed no such effect when they gave female mice testosterone, as they lost their preference for warmer temperatures instead. Interestingly, introducing female hormones into male mice did not alter their temperature preferences, nor did blocking hormones in female mice have any impact on their perception of temperature. Research on mice has shed light on why women tend to get cold more easily than men. The study found that warm and cool temperatures are processed by the brain through separate pathways, which may explain why women's sensitivity to cold is heightened. Interestingly, this discovery could have implications for understanding conditions such as neuropathic pain, where people experience an increased sensitivity to temperature extremes. By studying how temperature sensors work in the body, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms and potentially develop new treatments. This research provides valuable insights into the complex process of temperature perception, suggesting that the same sensor proteins found in mice are also present in humans, and likely function in a similar way. --- Source: [Live Science](https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/women-often-get-cold-more-easily-than-men-a-mouse-study-offers-hints-why) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/women-s-temperature-sensitivity-linked-to-testosterone-levels/