Physical Performance Regarding Handgrip Strength in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The present study aimed to investigate the physical performance of handgrip strength (HGS) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

A case-control study that included 70 women with PCOS and 93 age-matched healthy women aged between 18 and 47 years with body mass index (BMI) between 18 Kg/m²-39.9 Kg/m². The serum levels of total testosterone, androstenedione, insulin, estradiol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) were measured. The free androgen index (FAI) and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. The body composition regions of interest (ROIs) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the handgrip strength (HGS) was evaluated for both the dominant and the non-dominant hands with a manual Sammons Preston (Bolingbrook, IL, US) bulb dynamometer.

Women with PCOS had high serum levels of total testosterone (p < 0.01), androstenedione (p = 0.03), and insulin (p < 0.01), as well as high FAI (p < 0.01) and HOMA-IR (p = 0.01) scores. Compared with the non-PCOS group, the PCOS group had greater total lean mass in the dominant hand (p < 0.03) and greater HGS in both the dominant and the non-dominant hands (p < 0.01). The HGS was correlated with lean mass (p < 0.01).

Women with PCOS have greater HGS. This may be associated with age and BMI, and it may be related to lean mass. In addition, the dominance effect on muscle mass may influence the physical performance regarding HGS in women with PCOS.