Posted on 08/27/2011 6:37:40 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Medieval suits of armour were so exhausting to wear that they could have affected the outcomes of famous battles, a study suggests.
Scientists monitored volunteers fitted with 15th Century replica armour as they walked and ran on treadmills.
They found that the subjects used high levels of energy, bore immense weight on their legs and suffered from restricted breathing.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The effect of the heavy armour was so great, that the researchers believe it may have have had an impact on the Battle of Agincourt.
"It is a huge fraction of the wearer's body weight" -- Dr Graham Askew University of Leeds
In this famous Anglo-French conflict of 1415, French knights were defeated by their English counterparts, despite the fact that they heavily outnumbered them.
The researchers say their study suggests that the armour-clad French, who had to trek through a muddy field to meet the stationary English line, were so slowed and exhausted by their march that they would have stood little chance.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
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