Female thermal sensitivity and behaviour across the lifespan: A unique journey

Women are a group of individuals that undergo unique anatomical, physiological and hormonal changes across the lifespan. For example, consider the impact of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, all of which are accompanied by both short‐ and long‐term effects on female body morphology (e.g., changes in breast size) and temperature regulation, heat tolerance, thermal sensitivity and comfort. However, empirical evidence on how skin thermal and wetness sensitivity might change across the lifespan of women, and the implications that this has for female‐specific thermal behaviours, continues to be lacking. This paper is based on a symposium presentation given at Physiology 2023 in Harrogate, UK. It aims to review new evidence on anatomical and physiological mechanisms underpinning differences in skin thermal and wetness sensitivity amongst women varying in breast size and age, in addition to their role in driving female thermal behaviours. It is hoped that this brief overview will stimulate the development of testable hypotheses to increase our understanding of the behavioural thermal physiology of women across the lifespan and at a time of climate change. What is the topic of this review? This review focuses on female thermal sensitivity and behaviour across the lifespan. What is advances does it highlight? Sensing of temperature and wetness are fundamental sensory functions that support heat stress resilience in humans. Recent evidence indicates that women present distinctive thermosensory mechanisms and behaviours that vary as a function of female body morphology and with ageing. Person‐centred thermal innovation should therefore consider the unique and evolving ‘thermosensory needs’ of the female body across the lifespan to help women thrive in a warming climate.