Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Epidemiological studies link reduced grip strength in older adults to adverse health outcomes, including disability and mortality.
• Grip strength is a key indicator for sarcopenia and frailty, yet normative data for interpretation is lacking.
• Understanding grip strength across the life course is crucial for identifying age-related decline and associated health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish cross-sectional centile values for grip strength throughout the human life course (ages 4-90).
• To investigate the prevalence of weak grip strength, defined by a threshold relative to peak strength.
• To assess the influence of measurement protocols (dynamometer type, position) on grip strength values.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 60,803 grip strength measurements from 49,964 participants across 12 UK population studies.
• Development of centile curves for grip strength from age 4 to 90.
• Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of dynamometer type and measurement position (seated vs. standing).

Main Results:

• Grip strength increases to a peak in early adulthood, is maintained through midlife, and declines thereafter.
• Males exhibit higher peak grip strength than females from adolescence onwards.
• The prevalence of weak grip strength (≥2.5 SD below peak mean) increases with age, reaching 23-27% by age 80.
• Findings were robust across different dynamometer types and measurement positions.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first normative grip strength centile data across the full life course.
• These centile values can support clinical evaluations for sarcopenia and frailty.
• The data provides a valuable reference for interpreting grip strength measurements in diverse age groups.