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The Measurement of Strength in Children: Is the Peak Value Truly Maximal?
Hayao Ozaki1, Takashi Abe2, Scott J Dankel3
1Department of Sport and Health Science, Tokai Gakuen University, Miyoshi, Aichi 470-0207, Japan.
Insights
Handgrip strength (HGS) in young children can be accurately measured. The ratio of HGS to forearm muscle thickness (MT) shows minimal change between ages 4.5 and 6.5, indicating reliable strength assessments are possible.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physiology
- Biomechanical assessment
- Child development
Background:
- Accurate measurement of maximal muscle strength in young children is challenging due to factors like motivation and cognitive maturity.
- Assessing voluntary muscle activation in early childhood is difficult, potentially impacting strength test validity.
- The relationship between muscle strength and size in developing children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ratio between handgrip strength (HGS) and forearm muscle thickness (MT) in preschool-aged children.
- To determine if age-related changes in the HGS/MT ratio suggest varying levels of voluntary muscle activation.
- To evaluate the reliability of handgrip strength testing in children as young as 4.5 years.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1133 preschool children (ages 4.5–6.5 years).
- Measurements included forearm muscle thickness (MT) and handgrip strength (HGS).
- Linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of age and sex on MT, HGS, and the HGS/MT ratio.
Main Results:
- The HGS/MT ratio demonstrated a moderate increase with age in both boys and girls.
- The observed differences in the HGS/MT ratio across the age range were minimal.
- Forearm muscle thickness (MT) and handgrip strength (HGS) were influenced by age and sex.
Conclusions:
- Handgrip strength (HGS) measurements are likely accurate in children as young as 4.5 years.
- The HGS/MT ratio is relatively stable in preschool-aged children, supporting the validity of HGS testing.
- This study provides evidence for the feasibility of using handgrip strength as a reliable measure of muscle strength in early childhood.
Abstract:
It is unclear whether the measurement of maximum muscle strength in younger children can be performed accurately due to factors such as motivation and maturity (i.e., the ability to receive instruction). If there is a large change in a ratio between muscular strength and size from the youngest to the oldest, then this might provide some indication that the youngest may not have been able to voluntarily activate their muscles for reasons mentioned previously. The purpose of this study was to observe the ratio between handgrip strength (HGS) and forearm muscle thickness (MT) across differing ages in younger children. A total of 1133 preschool children (559 boys and 574 girls) between the ages of 4.5 and 6.5 years had MT and HGS measurements and calculated the ratio of HGS/MT (kg/cm). Linear regression was used to assess the impact of age and sex on the dependent variables of MT, HGS, and the HGS/MT ratio. The HGS/MT ratio increases moderately from age 4.5 to 6.5 in both boys and girls. However, the difference in this ratio was small between the age ranges in this sample. Our results indicate children as young as 4.5 may be accurately measured with the handgrip strength test.
