The relationship between handgrip strength and performance scores in North American Collegiate Division I women’s artistic gymnasts

Abstract

Maximal isometric handgrip strength (HGS) is used as an indicator of overall muscular strength and has also been found to be predictive of certain athletic events sporting prowess. Women’s artistic gymnastics requires athletes have high levels of relative muscular strength and power to be successful. This study examined the relationship between HGS and gymnastics performance scores for the 4 events of vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor in female collegiate artistic gymnasts. Twenty-five (n=25) female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I North American collegiate women’s artistic gymnasts (age: 20.1±1.3 yrs; height: 158.9±5.6 cm; mass: 58.2±5.3 kg) were assessed for a one-time measurement of absolute HGS in kg and relative HGS (HGS/height in m2), as well as their average vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor performance scores across a competitive season. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were determined between HGS and all performance scores. No significant (p > 0.05) correlations were found between absolute HGS (30.8±4.4 kg) or relative HGS (12.0±1.6 kg/m2) and any 4 gymnastics event’s performance scores (r range: -0.07 – 0.50 or r range: -0.06 – 0.31, respectively). In this female collegiate gymnastics’ population, 56% had an absolute HGS and 80% had a relative HGS, respectively, above the 50th percentile of all similarly aged adult females in the United States. In the current population of female collegiate gymnasts, absolute and relative HGS were not related to any gymnastics events performance scores and adds to the existing literature, supporting no relationships between HGS and sports performances where sports movements require a high degree of technical precision and accuracy. Findings from this investigation can be used by athletes, coaches, and practitioners in the collegiate women’s gymnastics realm to assess if athletes have attained sufficient absolute HGS, and especially relative HGS values, to be successful.