Why women struggle more in heatwaves, according to science
Seem to be coping slightly less well in the heat than your male counterparts? There are scientific reasons for that…How are we feeling about being in our fifth heatwave of the summer? If the answer is ‘not. . .
Seem to be coping slightly less well in the heat than your male counterparts? There are scientific reasons for that…How are we feeling about being in our fifth heatwave of the summer? If the answer is ‘not great’, it might be reassuring to know that women struggle more in the heat than men. At least, that’s according to the BBC. Dr Nighat Arif, an NHS GP, told the broadcaster thatheatwavesare a kind of stress-test for our cardiovascular systems, and as such, we’re more at risk of heat-related issues than men. So, what’s behind the difference? Well, theBBCpoints to a2025 studythat found that we tend to produce less sweat and only start sweating at a higher temperature. While that might be great for us during more normal weather patterns (who hasn’t felt sorry for the guy dripping in sweat on a cloudy, mild day?), that means that we’re less able to quickly shed heat when it’s hot. It also makes it harder for our bodies to understand when we’re at heat capacity. We’ve also got a slightly higher core body temperature and higher body fat percentage. So we might feel hotter than men, but we’re also less able to quickly cool down. Heatwaves are a stress-test for our cardio systemsAnd then, of course, there are hormones. Our temperature changes over the course of our menstrual cycle – rising after ovulation and falling in the follicular phase. Then you’ve got the progesterone/oestrogen shift that comes with perimenopause, pregnancy and postpartum. Breastfeeding this summer? You don’t need us to tell you that having a sweaty baby glued to your chest during a heatwave is like running with a weighted vest. We’ve previously reported on how period symptoms can be more severe in a heatwave, with bleeding lasting for longer and the mental side effects hitting harder. As mentioned, our body temperature is higher than usual during our periods. The one thing that can help with difficult periods? Sleep – something that becomes far more elusive when you’re incredibly hot. “Your body uses more energy when you’re on your period, so it means you’re likely to feel even groggier during a heatwave, especially if you’re not sleeping well,” Dr Sam Wild, women’s health clinical lead for Bupa UK,previously toldStylist. So if you’re struggling this week, know that you’re not alone. Images: GettyTopicssave for latershare this articleLatest posts