Why do we like environments with lower body temperatures?

Do you know when summer comes with everything and you are almost sick from the heat? If the temperature is over 35 ° C, for example, the urge is to run to the nearest beach - but why do we get so hot on hot days if the normal human body temperature is 37 ºC? Why do we feel better in cooler environments? Do you know?

The human body is programmed to generate heat at all times through cardiac pumping, muscle movement, digestion and many other activities we perform while breathing.

To work in perfect condition, our body maintains this average temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, and being exposed to very high or very low temperatures can impair enzyme functions that exist to keep us in balance - then depending on the difference between room temperature and temperature. body, shock can be fatal.

balance

To maintain the ideal temperature, the human body performs various processes, such as breathing, sweating, and blood circulation, which allows blood to cool as it passes through vessels near the surface of the skin. When it needs to warm up, the body contracts some blood vessels, limits the flow of blood in the regions near the skin, and makes us shiver to warm it up.

Moisture also interferes with these thermal equilibrium processes, even acting in a similar way to sweat in cold and humid environments, causing body cooling. In general, it can be said that there are some factors that influence our thermal comfort: presence or absence of wind (it is what makes us feel different from the actual local temperature); the heat source (sun, heater, fire); and quantity and type of clothing.

In addition to these external interferences, we also feel hot or cold because of our metabolic rate, which is basically the rate at which the body turns chemical energy into heat and work. This rate is higher in people with good muscle mass - a high metabolic rate indicates high heat production. In addition to the issue of musculature, a person's metabolic rate varies depending on other factors, and this explains why someone feels cold even when in the same environment as a very hot individual.

And why are we so hot in summer?

For most people, being in a near-body temperature environment makes the body feel excessively hot, as the cooling mechanisms need to work much harder to maintain thermal balance. What helps maintain this balance are factors such as the type of clothing worn, body hydration, movement, and the presence or absence of wind.

Therefore, it is essential to know better one's own body and respect its needs. On very hot days, the ideal is to drink plenty of water, avoid sunning for long periods between 10am and 4pm, consume natural and fresh food, wear light clothes and, of course, bet on sunscreen.

On cold days, we need to wear proper clothing, avoid getting wet body parts, protect feet and hands, moisturize the skin, consume water and teas, maintain a healthy diet and avoid excessive alcohol consumption, which gives us the impression to heat up, but in fact it does just the opposite and can put us at risk.