Body temperature is a crucial aspect of our health, but there are many interesting facts that often go unnoticed. Let’s discover some of them!
Core and Surface Body Temperature
Core body temperature remains constant between 36.5°C and 37.4°C. Surface temperature, however, varies significantly (28°C - 37°C) depending on external conditions and blood flow.
The Role of the Heart and Liver
The heart’s temperature is about 38.8°C, higher than the average body temperature. The liver can be even hotter due to its role in metabolic processes.
Thermoregulation and Thermal Comfort
Our body regulates temperature through mechanisms like sweating and shivering. The thermal comfort zone for a naked adult is between 27°C and 32°C.
Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine can increase body temperature by stimulating the nervous system. In contrast, alcohol can initially warm the body but later cools it down by dilating blood vessels.
Age Differences
As we age, body temperature tends to decrease due to a reduced fever response and decreased thermoregulation capacity.
Menstrual Cycle
In women, body temperature can rise by about 0.4°C after ovulation due to progesterone.
Sleep Influence
During sleep, body temperature drops, reaching its lowest point in the early morning hours. REM sleep, or deep sleep, is influenced by ambient temperature.
Physical Activity and Diet
Physical activity increases body temperature due to heat produced by muscles. Eating, especially high-calorie meals, can temporarily raise body temperature.
Sports and Performance
Athletes must carefully monitor their body temperature. Excessive increase can lead to heatstroke, while a drastic drop can negatively affect performance. Technical clothing, such as that offered by SIXS, helps maintain optimal body temperature during physical activity.
These facts highlight how complex and fascinating body temperature regulation is.
Regularly measuring and understanding temperature variations can help better monitor our health.
Additionally, choosing thermoregulating technical clothing like that offered by SIXS can prevent temperature fluctuations during physical activity, keeping the body within the thermal comfort zone and enhancing performance.
If you want to learn more here we went into more technical detail ;)
