Wives may be better at lugging heavy loads than husbands, according to new research.
Scientists studying the physics of backpacking found that smaller hikers can be better equipped to carry heavy loads than people with larger frames.
The reason may be linked to the fact that walkers carrying backpacks also have to haul their own body weight, scientists believe.
Hiking guidelines say that the weight of a pack should correspond to body size, with smaller individuals bearing lighter burdens.
Professor Michael O'Shea, from Kansas State University, US, who conducted the research using a computer model, said: "Online advice from several sources was somewhat misleading in suggesting that pack weight should be a certain per cent of a person's weight. However, as the size of any animal increases, strength increases more slowly than body weight - the reason why tiny ants can carry a disproportionately heavy load compared to their weight.
"Overall strength of an individual does not determine how heavy a backpack a person can comfortably carry."
Prof O'Shea noticed that some of the smaller hikers could carry greater back weights than larger students with similar fitness levels.
Incorporating pack weight and body proportion data, he came up with an equation to determine the maximum rucksack load suitable for a person of given size.
据《每日电讯报》报道，妻子的负重能力可能更胜于丈夫。
科学家研究背包客身体状况发现，身材矮小的徒步旅行者似乎比身材高大的徒步旅行者更能负重。
科学家们相信这个结果与如下事实有关：徒步旅行者携带背包的同时也负担着自己的体重。
徒步旅行指南说道背包的负重应与自身体型相对应，身材矮小的人就应该背更轻负重。
来自美国堪萨斯州立大学的迈克尔·奥谢教授运用电脑模型完成了该项研究，他说：“网上那些认为身材矮小的人应该负重更轻完全是误导性的建议。然而，事实并非如此，随着体重的增加，力量的提升并没有与之成正比，这也就是为什么蚂蚁能够负重起远重于它体重的东西的原因。”
“一个人的力气并不决定他能负载多重的东西。”
奥谢教授发现身材矮小的徒步旅行者似乎比身材高大的徒步旅行者更能负重。
通过比对负重与体重数据，他得出一个关于背包最大负重量与人体重量的等式关系。