Handgrip Strength In Women Research Articles

The second to fourth digit ratio: a measure of hand grip strength?

Background: The ratio of the lengths of the index and the ring finger (2D:4D ratio) is generally different between men and women. This has often been used as an indicator of the levels of prenatal androgen exposure. It has hence been suggested to have a role in many gender differences including performance in sports. Men generally outperform women in most physical abilities. However, reports in various studies have been inconclusive, depending upon the physical ability tested. Hand Grip Strength (HGS) is a good measure of overall strength of an individual. Hence, we decided to determine the relationship between 2D:4D and HGS of both hands in men and women.Methods: Scanned images of both hands of young volunteers were analysed and the 2D:4D ratio calculated. HGS was measured and results correlated with 2D:4D.Results: 2D:4D ratio of men was significantly less than of women for the right (p<0.001) and the left hand (p<0.001). HGS of men was significantly greater than that of women for the right (p<0.0001) and for the left hand (p<0.0001). 2D:4D ratio in men showed a weak but significant positive correlation with HGS of right(p<0.05) and left hand(p<0.05). A weak but significant positive correlation was also seen for the left hand in females. However, 2D:4D ratios did not show any significant correlation with HGS for the right hand in women.Conclusions: We conclude that 2D:4D ratio is a measure of Hand Grip Strength in men, but is not a robust measure of HGS in women.

Six-year trajectory of objective physical function in persons with depressive and anxiety disorders.

Depression and anxiety have been related to poorer self-reported physical functioning over time; however, objective measures of physical function are less frequently examined. This study assessed the 6-year trajectory of hand-grip strength and lung function in persons with depressive and/or anxiety disorders. At four waves (baseline, 2, 4, and 6 years) hand-grip strength and lung function were assessed in 2,480 participants, aged 18-65 years, of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between baseline psychiatric status (current and remitted depression and anxiety, healthy controls) and physical function during 6-year follow-up, adjusted for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and health indicators. Although there were no differences in the rate of decline over time, women with current, but not remitted, depression and anxiety had poorer hand-grip strength (B = -1.34, P < .001) and poorer lung function (B = -11.91, P =.002) compared to healthy women during the entire 6-year follow-up. Associations with depression and anxiety severity measures confirmed dose-response relationships with objective physical function. In men, stronger 6-year decline of lung function was found in those with current disorders (current diagnosis-by-time: B = -11.72, P = .002) and even in those with remitted disorders (remitted diagnosis by time: B = -10.11, P = .04) compared to healthy men. Depression and anxiety are associated with consistently poorer hand-grip strength in women and poorer lung function in women and men over 6 years of time, implicating their long-lasting impact on physical functioning.

Chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and handgrip strength among older adults from Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the association between various chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and handgrip strength in community dwelling older adults in Southern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out with 477 older adults (60 years and older) who resided in Antônio Carlos, Santa Catarina state. Subjects aged 60-79 years were selected by probability sampling (n=343) and all subjects aged 80 years or older (n=134) were evaluated. Chronic diseases were identified by self-report. A mechanical dynamometer verified handgrip strength (i.e., the outcome). Adjustments variables were age, literacy, living arrangement, smoking, body mass index, cognitive function, and comorbid chronic diseases. Sex-stratified analyses were conducted with simple and multiple linear regression. Results: A total of 270 women (73.2±8.8 years) and 207 men (73.3±9.0 years) were assessed. In the adjustment analysis, cancer (β=-3.69; 95%CI=-6.97 to -0.41) and depression (β=-1.65; 95%CI=-3.20 to -0.10) were associated with lower handgrip strength in women. For men, diabetes (β=-5.30; 95%CI=-9.64 to -0.95), chronic lung disease (β=-4.74; 95%CI=-7.98 to -1.50), and coronary heart disease (β=-3.07; 95%CI=-5.98 to -0.16) were associated with lower handgrip strength values. There was an inverse trend between number of diseases and handgrip strength for men only. Conclusion: The results showed an independent association between chronic diseases and handgrip strength. As such, handgrip strength is a valid measure to use for prevention or intervention in chronic disease and multimorbidity.

Associations between Handgrip Strength and Ultrasound-Measured Muscle Thickness of the Hand and Forearm in Young Men and Women

It is unknown whether muscle size of intrinsic hand muscles is associated with handgrip strength. To investigate the relationships between handgrip strength and flexor muscle size of the hand and forearm, muscle thickness (MT) of 86 young adults (43 men and 43 women) between the ages of 18 and 34 y was measured by ultrasound. Two MTs (forearm radius and forearm ulna MT) in the anterior forearm, two MTs (lumbrical and dorsal interosseous MT) in the anterior hand and handgrip strength were measured on the right side. Linear regression with part (also referred to as semipartial) correlation coefficients revealed that forearm ulna MT positively correlated with handgrip strength in both men (part = 0.379, p = 0.001) and women (part = 0.268, p = 0.002). Dorsal interosseous MT correlated with handgrip strength in women only (part = 0.289, p = 0.001). Our results suggest that the forearm ulna and dorsal interosseous MTs for women and forearm ulna MTs for men are factors contributing to prediction of handgrip strength in young adults.

The Effect Of Rapid Time Zone Travel By Airplane On Circadian Rhythms In Elite Karate Athletes Competing In The 13th Funakoshi Cup In Tokyo, Japan

PURPOSE: Rapid travel across multiple time zones (RTZ) may cause disturbances to zeitgebers regulating the internal body clock. Little is known about the effects of RTZ on amateur Karate athletes who compete internationally. Two thousand elite, national championship amateur Karate athletes from 53 countries participated in the 13th Funakoshi Cup, in Tokyo, Japan in October, 2014. This study used a convenience sample of 11 athletes (who competed on the U.S. team to evaluate the effects of RTZ over the 3-days prior to competition. METHODS: Athletes (female = 6; 17.9 ± 9.6 training years; male = 5; 24.6 ± 9.3 training years) arrived in Tokyo four days prior to tournament eliminations for adaptation to the novel environment. All met daily to stretch and train lightly. Prior to training each day, data were collected on left and right handgrip strength via dynamometry, oral temperature, and self-perception of sleep quality from the previous night using the method of Reilly, Atkinson, & Waterhouse, 1997. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 31 software. RESULTS: Over the 3-day training period hand grip strength did not change for either men (right hand: P > .301; left hand: P > .932) or women (right hand: P > .905; left hand: P > .169). Sleep quality improved (men: P > .326: D1 = 3.8 ± 2.2, D2 = 2.4 ± 1.1, D3 = 2.8 ± 1.3); women P > .357: D1 = 3.0 ± 1.7, D2 = 2.17 ± 1.5, D3 = 2.6 ± 1.0), but not significantly. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between average sleep quality and right, but not left, handgrip strength in women (right r = .863: P < .026; left r = .169: P > .179). Average sleep quality and handgrip strength in men showed a moderate relationship (left hand r = .762: P > .134; right hand r = .670: P > .216). CONCLUSIONS: In this small sample of amateur, elite Karate athletes sleep quality appeared to be negatively affected by RTZ. Adequate and timely sleep may influence activities such as handgrip dynamometry that mimic the rapid decision making and reflexive actions that are common in international Karate competition. Our findings suggest that more research with larger samples is needed in this sport venue.

Changes in oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with changes in handgrip strength in Japanese community-dwelling persons.

Nordic walking (NW), characterized by the use of two walking poles, has positive effects on several muscle groups. Muscle strength and mass decrease with age, and recently, this decrease is defined as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia may be triggered by oxidative stress. We investigated whether changes in the oxidative stress marker, malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL)/LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) ratio are associated with change in handgrip strength (HGS), which is a useful indicator of sarcopenia, by a 12-week NW exercise among Japanese community-dwelling persons. The present study included 65 women aged 67±7 years and 9 men aged 71±8 years from a rural village. NW exercise of 120 min per week was performed for 12 weeks. Before and at the end of the 12-week intervention, various confounding factors and HGS were measured. 12-week changes in various factors were calculated by subtracting the baseline values from the 12-week values. Changes in HGS and follow-up HGS increased progressively with decreased changes in the MDA-LDL/LDL-C ratio after the 12-week walking exercise (r=-0.32, P=0.006 and r=-0.35, P=0.002, respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that changes in HDL-C (β=0.26, P=0.019) and MDA-LDL/LDL-C ratio (β=-0.32, P=0.004) were significantly and independently associated with changes in HGS. When the data were further stratified by gender, change in the MDA-LDL/LDL-C ratio was significantly and similarly associated with change in HGS in women only. These results suggest that change in MDA-LDL/LDL-C ratio may be a predictor for HGS after a 12-week NW exercise in community-dwelling persons.

Effects of yoga on arm volume among women with breast cancer related lymphedema: A pilot study

Lymphedema affects 3-58% of survivors of breast cancer and can result in upper extremity impairments. Exercise can be beneficial in managing lymphedema. Yoga practice has been minimally studied for its effects on breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of yoga on arm volume, quality of life (QOL), self-reported arm function, and hand grip strength in women with BCRL. Six women with BCRL participated in modified Hatha yoga 3×/week for 8 weeks. Compression sleeves were worn during yoga sessions. Arm volume, QOL, self-reported arm function, and hand grip strength were measured at baseline, half-way, and at the conclusion of yoga practice. Arm volume significantly decreased from baseline (2423.3 ml ± 597.2) to final measures (2370.8 ml ± 577.2) (p = .02). No significant changes in QOL (p = .12), self-reported arm function (p = .34), or hand grip strength (p = .26) were found. Yoga may be beneficial in the management of lymphedema.

Hand-grip strength of young men, women and highly trained female athletes

Hand-grip strength has been identified as one limiting factor for manual lifting and carrying loads. To obtain epidemiologically relevant hand-grip strength data for pre-employment screening, we determined maximal isometric hand-grip strength in 1,654 healthy men and 533 healthy women aged 20-25 years. Moreover, to assess the potential margins for improvement in hand-grip strength of women by training, we studied 60 highly trained elite female athletes from sports known to require high hand-grip forces (judo, handball). Maximal isometric hand-grip force was recorded over 15 s using a handheld hand-grip ergometer. Biometric parameters included lean body mass (LBM) and hand dimensions. Mean maximal hand-grip strength showed the expected clear difference between men (541 N) and women (329 N). Less expected was the gender related distribution of hand-grip strength: 90% of females produced less force than 95% of males. Though female athletes were significantly stronger (444 N) than their untrained female counterparts, this value corresponded to only the 25th percentile of the male subjects. Hand-grip strength was linearly correlated with LBM. Furthermore, both relative hand-grip strength parameters (F (max)/body weight and F (max)/LBM) did not show any correlation to hand dimensions. The present findings show that the differences in hand-grip strength of men and women are larger than previously reported. An appreciable difference still remains when using lean body mass as reference. The results of female national elite athletes even indicate that the strength level attainable by extremely high training will rarely surpass the 50th percentile of untrained or not specifically trained men.

Is renal failure a contraindication for steroid use in acute alcoholic hepatitis?

To investigate the association between serum uric acid (UA) and relative hand grip strength (HGS) in comparison with metabolic syndrome components.We analyzed the data of 5247 Korean adults aged ≥ 20 years (2422 men and 2825 women) who participated in the KNHNES VII (2018).Among women, relative HGS was significantly lower in participants with hyperuricemia (1.65 ± 0.04) than in those without (1.95 ± 0.01) and was significantly decreased in the highest quartile (4Q: 1.77 ± 0.02) of serum UA compared with that in the lowest quartile (1Q: 1.98 ± 0.02). Among men, relative HGS was lower in participants with hyperuricemia (3.09 ± 0.04 vs. 3.16 ± 0.02) and decreased in 4Q (3.08 ± 0.03) of serum UA compared with that in 1Q (3.15 ± 0.03); however, these results were not statistically significant. In age- and multivariate-adjusted analyses in men, relative HGS was significantly lower in 4Q compared with that in 1Q in model 1 (adjusted for age), but there were no significant differences in model 2 (adjusted for age, BMI, and waist circumference) and model 3 (adjusted for age, BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Meanwhile, in women, relative HGS was significantly decreased in 4Q compared with that in 1Q in all models.A significant inverse correlation was observed between serum UA levels and relative HGS in women, and their significance was maintained even after adjusting for age and metabolic syndrome components.

Muscle strength and muscle endurance of middle-aged women and men associated to type, duration and intensity of muscular load at work.

Muscle strength and muscle endurance in groups with different occupational muscular load was studied among 60 women and 69 men. The mean age of the subjects was 52.0 +/- 3.4 years. Isometric grip and trunk strength were measured on dynamometers, and dynamic muscle endurance by sit-ups. A job analysis was done with the AET method including the assessment of intensity, duration and type of muscular work of each subject. According to the job analysis, the subjects were classified into groups with low or high muscular load at work. The maximal isometric hand grip strength of women with a load classified as long duration of static or dynamic load on the hands at work was 86 and 88%, respectively of the strength of those with a load of short duration. The women with high intensity in static work had a grip strength of 86% of those with low intensity. These differences in strength among women between the high and low load groups were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). No other statistically significant differences in muscle strength or muscle endurance between the high and low work load groups were found, although the high work load group had systematically the lowest muscle strength and muscle endurance in almost all comparisons. Muscle strength and muscle endurance was, however, not a discriminating factor between the group classifications of static and dynamic work. The results indicated that the muscle strength and muscle endurance of middle-aged employees was systematically lower among those with high muscular load compared to those with low load at work.