The importance of grip strength

Grip Strength Dynamometer

Most people understand the importance of tracking changes in your weight or body fat and muscle, but many overlook the importance of grip strength. Regular measurement of grip strength is just as important as weight measurement, and particularly so for elderly populations that are at higher risk for muscle decline!
 
A paper published in the Journal of Gerontology studied the decline in muscle mass and strength in older adults over a period of 3 years.
Grip Strength Decline

The researchers found that decline in strength was much more rapid than the loss of muscle mass, which demonstrates that for evaluation of sarcopenia or muscle evaluation, regular assessments of strength are important to pre-emptively detect risk.
 
However, comprehensive measurement of individual muscle groups can be quite time-consuming, and require usage of a lot of specialized equipment. Can grip strength be used to provide a general indicator for full-body strength?
 
Several independent studies have in fact studied this exact relationship, looking into correlation with overall muscular strength for other body segments as well. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, grip strength, lower limb strength, abdominal strength, and aerobic power was all measured, to establish if grip strength could be used as a predictor for total muscle strength.
 
Indeed, a positive correlation was found, i.e. handgrip strength was significantly associated with various performance and fitness parameters, such as jumping and curl-ups.
 
Another study published in the "Medicine" publication investigated if handgrip strength could help predict functional outcomes after hip fractures, and results indicated that subjects with higher grip strength had better results, supporting the hypothesis that grip strength at admission to rehabilitation could assist in a prognostic role.
 
Charder's MG4800 Grip Strength Dynamometer is designed to streamline the measurement process and make things easier for practitioners. Features include a rechargeable battery, wireless transmission, automatic count mode, and other useful functions we've added after receiving feedback from professionals using these kinds of devices daily!
 
MG4800 Grip Dynamometer

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