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Why do we shiver when we are cold?
 Our body has homeostatic functions that automatically monitor, adjust and regulate our important systems without our even knowing it. Shivering is just one of these homeostatic functions our body employs to regulate our body temperature. Also called thermoregulatory shivering, we shiver in an effort to keep ourselves warm.

Our brain both consciously and subconsciously detects cold simultaneously through different sensory systems, which prompts the body to shiver.  Our body attempts to maintain our core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees C), despite ambient temperature. In an attempt to avoid hypothermia where our body temperature is lowered to dangerous levels, our muscles are prompted to contract and expand quickly, resulting in a shiver. This in turn produces more heat in the skeletal muscles to provide extra warmth to our organs. It does use a lot of energy, and severe shivering is a last resort in an attempt to stay warm. Along with shivering, our teeth may chatter due to tightening jaw muscles.


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