Association between handgrip strength, balance, and knee flexion/extension strength in older adults

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 6; p. e0198185
• Main Authors: Alonso, Angelica Castilho, Ribeiro, Samia Maria, Luna, Natália Mariana Silva, Peterson, Mark D, Bocalini, Danilo Sales, Serra, Marcos Maurício, Brech, Guilherme Carlos, Greve, Julia Maria D'Andréa, Garcez-Leme, Luiz Eugênio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01-06-2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - physiology; Anthropometry; Balance; Biology and Life Sciences; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive tasks; Correlation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Female; Force plates; Grip strength; Hand Strength; Health aspects; Humans; Knee; Knee - physiology; Laboratories; Mass Screening; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Muscle strength; Muscle Strength Dynamometer; Older people; Orthopedics; People and Places; Population; Postural Balance; Posture; Range of Motion, Articular; Research and Analysis Methods; Women; Womens health; Brazil; United States > US; Michigan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198185

The objective of the study was to examine the association between handgrip strength (HGS), knee flexion and extension strength, and static and dynamic balance in older women. One hundred and ten women with a mean age of 67.4±5.9 years were assessed for dynamic postural balance using the Time Up & Go Test (TUG) with and without cognitive tasks. Semi-static balance was assessed by means of a force platform; knee flexor and extensor muscle strength was calculated using an isokinetic dynamometer; and HGS using a hand held dynamometer. Weaker HGS was significantly correlated with worse performance in dynamic postural balance, as well as performance with TUG with and without cognitive tasks; however, there was no correlation between HGS and static balance. There was a moderate positive correlation between knee flexion/extension strength and HGS. This suggests that HGS could be used as a proxy indicator of overall strength capacity for clinical screening among older women.