HAND GRIP STRENGTH IN SENIOR ATHLETES: NORMATIVE DATA AND COMMUNITY-DWELLING COMPARISONS
Becca Jordre, William Schweinle
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hand grip strength is supported as a valid physical capacity measure in older adults. Normative values for community-dwelling older adult hand grip strength were recently updated. With the majority of community-dwelling older adults identified as sedentary, it is likely that current norms represent a group that is relatively inactive. A sub-population of senior athletes who actively engage in exercise and competitive sport have consistently demonstrated superior performance on measures of physical capacity when compared to the general population. Normative values for hand grip strength have not been established for this unique group of aging athletes. PURPOSE: To establish hand grip strength norms for senior athletes and to compare these outcomes to available normative data in community-dwelling older adults. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-Sectional Study. METHODS: was calculated to estimate the effect size of each comparison. RESULTS: = 0.44-1.5). CONCLUSION: Senior athletes demonstrate hand grip strength that is significantly higher than their community-dwelling peers and more similar to a younger community-dwelling population. The population--specific norms presented here will assist health care providers in more accurately assessing this high-functioning subset of aging adults. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: 2b.