Performance of normal Chinese adults on grip strength test: a preliminary study

This study investigated grip strength performance in normal Chinese adults. Grip strength of 160 Chinese subjects (80 males and 80 females) from a major metropolitan city in southern Taiwan was measured with a newly calibrated Jamar dynamometer. The subject was tested in a standing position, with shoulder adducted and neutrally rotated, elbow flexed at 90 degrees and forearm and wrist in neutral position. Subjects exerted one maximal effort with both right and left hands. Results indicate that the grip strength of Chinese males peaked within the 20 to 39 year-old group. For Chinese females, the highest grip strength score occurred in the 40 to 49 year-old age group and declined as a function of age. Males consistently had higher grip strength than females across age ranges. Finally, there was no 10% variance in grip strength from the dominant to nondominant hand for each age group of both sexes. Instead, there were 49 (31%) of all subjects who had nondominant hand strength scores that were equal to or greater than their dominant hand strength scores. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are suggested.