Can Handgrip Strength Improve Following Body Mass-Based Lower Body Exercise?

Abstract

Knee extension strength (KES) improves following body mass-based lower body exercise training; however, it is unknown whether this type of exercise increases handgrip strength (HGS) as a result of a cross-education effect in older individuals. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a body mass-based exercise intervention on HGS and KES in older adults. At baseline, 166 subjects started a 12-week intervention program, and 160 (108 women and 52 men) subjects completed the study. A self-selected group of 37 older adults (21 women and 16 men) served as a control group. HGS, KES, and ultrasound-derived anterior thigh muscle thickness (anterior thigh MT) were measured at baseline and post-testing, and relative strength of the knee extensor (KES/anterior thigh MT) was calculated. A linear regression model controlling for baseline values of body–mass index, % body fat, fat-free mass, HGS, chair stand time, anterior thigh MT, and KES/body mass ratio found a significant difference between control and training groups for KES post-testing values (p = 0.001) and anterior thigh MT post-testing values (p = 0.012), but not for HGS post-testing values (p = 0.287). Our results suggest that increases in lower body strength and muscle size following a 12-week lower body mass-based exercise intervention fail to translate into improvements in HGS.

Upper versus lower body resistance exercise with elastic bands: effects on cognitive and physical function of institutionalized older adults

“…Nevertheless, although a specific upper body strength program was performed in our study, it is possible that the stimulus offered by the material used was not sufficient to induce strength improvements [ 46 ]. Furthermore, while some evidence indicates that the positive effects of lower limb strength training may not translate into improvements in manual dynamometry data [ 47 ], a previous intervention combining upper and lower limb exercises which did show improvements in handgrip strength assessments [ 42 ].…”

A Narrative Review of Handgrip Strength and Cognitive Functioning: Bringing a New Characteristic to Muscle Memory

“…For example, Rhodes et al [88] randomly assigned 44 healthy, sedentary women aged 65-75 years to either a one year progressive resistance training exercise program or control group, and determined that although muscle strength gains occurred in those who engaged in progressive resistance exercise, there were no gains in handgrip strength. Yaginuma et al [89] similarly had participants self-select to be in a 12-week body mass-based home exercise intervention (n=160; age: 69.0±6.0 years) or control group (n=37; age: 69.0±7.0 years) and found that increases in lower body strength and muscle size failed to translate to improvements in handgrip strength. Conversely, a recent meta-analytic review by Labott et al [90] concluded meaningful but small improvements in handgrip strength occurred in healthy community-dwelling older adults who participated in a variety of exercise training approaches, but that task specific and multimodal exercise training may provide a proper stimulus to particularly improve handgrip strength.…”

Children with Low Handgrip Strength: A Narrative Review of Possible Exercise Strategies to Improve Its Development

“…Hand grip exercise training, which has a direct effect on the forearm/hand muscles, is expected to be involved in improving handgrip strength [ 35 ]. For example, Siegel et al [ 36 ] investigated the effects of resistance training on handgrip strength in an experimental group by comparing it with a control group.…”