Gender and Handedness in Grip Strength — A Double Whammy for Females

Abstract

With increasing number of women entering into jobs traditionally held by men, it has been found that tools and equipment originally deisgned for the “average man” do not fit women, smaller mean or other persons. Thirty college students (7 females, 8 dominant left handed males and 8 dominant right handed males) squeezed alternately with both dominant and non-dominant hands twice a Lafayette dynamometer at 5 grip span settings. The results indicated that grip strength increased with increasing grip span up to the preferred grip span. Female grip strength was 53% of male grip strength. The non-dominant hand produced 89.6% of dominant hand grip strength. More interestingly both male and female left handers exihibited nearly identical grip strengths for both hands, leading one to suspect that left handed people are being forced to adapt to a right handed world. It thus appears that certain female workers may be at a double disadvantage with gender and left handedness reducing grip strength by 2/3. However, tools and equipment can be modified to accommodate weaker individuals.