The use of a dynamometer in nutritional assessment

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nutrition
• Anthropometry
• Muscle Physiology

Background:

• Standard anthropometric measurements can be inaccurate in patients with fluid imbalances like edema or dehydration.
• Accurate nutritional assessment is crucial for patient care and treatment planning.
• Alternative methods are needed to reliably assess nutritional status in challenging clinical scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a hand-held dynamometer as a component of nutritional assessment.
• To determine the correlation between dynamometer readings and established anthropometric measures of nutritional status.
• To explore the reliability of dynamometry in distinguishing between well-nourished and malnourished male subjects.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-eight male subjects underwent nutritional assessment including standard anthropometry (body weight, triceps skinfold, midarm muscle circumference).
• Subjects were classified as well-nourished or malnourished based on predefined criteria.
• A hand-held dynamometer was used to measure muscle strength, with readings correlated against anthropometric data.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant correlation was found between all measured anthropometric parameters.
• Analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant correlation between midarm muscle circumference and dynamometer readings in the dominant arm.
• These findings suggest dynamometry may reflect muscle mass changes.

Conclusions:

• A hand-held dynamometer shows potential as a tool for nutritional assessment, particularly in relation to muscle mass.
• The technique demonstrated a significant correlation with midarm muscle circumference, a key indicator of muscle depletion.
• Further research and validation are necessary before incorporating dynamometry into routine nutritional assessment protocols.