The relationship between pulmonary function, and hand grip strength among young adults: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Public Health
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Pulmonary function and skeletal muscle strength are vital health indicators.
• Their relationship in young, healthy Saudi Arabian adults is understudied.
• This research explores the link between lung capacity and handgrip strength in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pulmonary function and handgrip strength (HGS) in healthy young adults.
• To control for demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors in this analysis.
• To understand the physiological underpinnings of muscle strength in young Saudis.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 71 healthy young adults (18-25 years) in Saudi Arabia.
• Pulmonary function tests (spirometry: FVC, FEV₁, PEF) and HGS measurements were conducted.
• Hierarchical multiple linear regression adjusted for age, sex, height, weight, physical activity, and smoking.

Main Results:

• Unadjusted analyses revealed moderate positive correlations between HGS and spirometry indices (FVC, FEV₁, PEF).
• These associations were weak and nonsignificant when using percentage-predicted values.
• Adjusting for covariates did not significantly alter the association between pulmonary function and HGS.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary function initially correlates with HGS in young adults.
• This association diminishes after controlling for demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors.
• Sex and body size appear to partially mediate the relationship between pulmonary function and HGS in this population.