The Effects of Obesity and Workload on Hand Grip Endurance

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between obesity and workload on hand grip strength and endurance. Twenty-two participants (11 non-obese and 11 obese) attended four experimental sessions, each session involving hand grip strength testing and sustained endurance task at a specified relative workload level (20, 40, 60, and 80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Dependent measures included absolute hand grip strength, endurance time, and rate of strength loss. Results indicated that obesity was associated with higher absolute hand grip strength and faster rate of strength loss during the endurance task. Additionally, shorter endurance times were observed for the obese group (~26-53% reduction from non-obese group) during the higher workload tasks in both males and females. Findings from this study suggest that obesity impairs hand grip fatigability, and that this relationship is augmented at higher workload levels.