Estimation of Hand Grip Strength Using a Grip Force Transducer in Healthy Volunteers

Background Hand grip strength (HGS) is a vital measure of muscular function and serves a pivotal role in the identification of functional impairments, as well as in evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in individuals with hand or upper extremity injuries undergoing rehabilitation. HGS represents a simple, objective, and reliable indicator of physical status, muscular performance, cardiovascular fitness, and functional disability. The primary objective of the study was to estimate HGS using a grip force transducer and to establish normative reference data for a healthy population from central India. Secondary exploratory objectives included examining the relationships of HGS with anthropometric and physiological variables, such as age, body mass index (BMI), heart rate (HR), and electromyography (EMG) activity, to provide additional physiological context for interpreting grip strength performance. Methods The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design and was conducted in the sports physiology laboratory of the Department of Physiology at a rural central Indian medical institute. A total of 400 volunteers aged 17-65 years were selected according to the inclusion criteria. HGS was assessed using a grip force transducer. Surface EMG measurements were obtained through disposable silver-silver chloride electrodes. Data acquisition was performed using the PowerLab system (ADInstruments Pty Ltd., Dunedin, New Zealand), and the analysis was carried out using LabChart Pro software (ADInstruments Pty Ltd., Dunedin, New Zealand). Results Of the 400 participants (220 men and 180 women), the mean age was 34 ± 11 years. The mean HGS was significantly lower in females than in their male counterparts, as revealed by the unpaired t-test. There was also a significant inverse correlation between mean HGS and age in males (r = -0.30) and females (r = -0.36). Although HR was significantly positively correlated with mean HGS, the correlation coefficients were relatively weak (for males, r = 0.23, and for females, r = 0.18), indicating that HR explains only a small proportion of the variability in HGS. The root mean square values of EMG demonstrated a statistically non-significant, weak positive correlation with mean HGS.  Conclusion The present research has established age-specific normative values of HGS, estimated using a grip force transducer, for the healthy population of central India. A statistically significant difference in grip strength was noted between the sexes, with men exhibiting greater grip strength than women. Age and HGS were also found to be inversely related, whereas a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between HR and HGS.