Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Manual Muscle Testing: A Method of Measuring Extremity Muscle Strength Applied to Critically Ill Patients
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Manual Muscle Testing: A Method of Measuring Extremity Muscle Strength Applied to Critically Ill Patients

Published on: April 12, 2011

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Study of muscle strength using hand-held dynamometry in pediatric patients with obesity

Álvaro Martín Rivada1, Mercedes Murray Hurtado1, Elena Sánchez Camacho2

  • 1Servicio de Pediatría, Sección Nutrición y Errores Innatos del Metabolismo, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.

Anales De Pediatria
|February 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Children with obesity show normal muscle strength compared to peers. Fat-free mass is the key predictor of grip strength, emphasizing the importance of physical activity and lean mass.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Sports Medicine
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern with potential impacts on physical development.
  • Muscle strength is a crucial component of overall health and functional capacity in children.
  • Understanding factors influencing muscle strength in pediatric obesity is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess grip strength in children and adolescents with obesity against reference values.
  • To analyze the relationship between muscle strength, body composition, and clinical/biochemical markers.
  • To identify predictors of muscle strength in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational cohort study of 125 pediatric patients (6-16 years) with obesity.
  • Data collected included physical activity, anthropometrics, bioimpedance analysis, and dynamometry.
  • Comparison with reference values and correlation analyses were performed.

Main Results:

  • Children with obesity had a mean muscle strength Z-score of +0.71, not lower than reference values.
  • Fat-free mass was the strongest positive predictor of muscle strength.
  • Dynapenia (low muscle strength) was observed in 4.8%, particularly in prepubertal children.

Conclusions:

  • Muscle strength in children with obesity is comparable to healthy peers.
  • Fat-free mass is the primary determinant of muscle strength.
  • Physical activity and lean mass positively influence strength in pediatric obesity.
Abstract

Keywords:
Body compositionComposición corporalDinamometría manualElectrical impedanceFuerza muscularImpedancia eléctricaManual dynamometryMuscle strengthObesidad infantilPediatric obesity

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