Initial study on Hand Grip Asymmetry in Lebanese Adults: An Advanced Model Integrating Maximal and Explosive Strength
Vol.19,No.2(2025)
This study introduces a refined model of hand grip asymmetry tailored to the Lebanese population, incorporating both maximal strength (Fmax) and explosive strength (RFDmax). Unlike previous models that primarily focused on maximal strength, this dual-parameter approach provides a more comprehensive assessment of hand grip asymmetry, offering insights into functional health and injury risk. Given the absence of prior data on this population, the model establishes baseline asymmetry thresholds to support clinical evaluations and performance assessments.
A total of 393 healthy adults (241 males, 152 females) from various Lebanese regions underwent hand grip assessments measuring Fmax and RFDmax for both the dominant (DH) and non-dominant hands (NDH). Asymmetry levels were computed separately for handgrip strength and handgrip explosive strength, and participants were classified into four asymmetry groups: low (0–10%), moderate (10.1–20%), high (20.1–30%), and very high (>30%) based on asymmetry percentage thresholds.
Results indicated that males demonstrated approximately 44% greater hand grip strength (Fmax) and 47% higher RFDmax than females across both hands (p < 0.001). A dominant hand advantage was observed, with a 6.9% higher Fmax in males and a 7.9% difference in females (p < 0.001). While overall asymmetry did not differ significantly between genders, females exhibited slightly higher asymmetry in RFDmax. Notably, explosive strength asymmetry was more pronounced than maximal strength asymmetry, suggesting it may serve as a stronger indicator of neuromuscular control and injury risk.
This model serves as a key reference for understanding hand grip asymmetry in the Lebanese population, establishing normative benchmarks that may aid in health risk identification and functional assessments. Future research should explore age-related trends and cross-population comparisons to further evaluate the impact of hand grip asymmetry on performance and health outcomes.
Hand Grip Strength (HGS); Health Risk Assessment; Asymmetry Levels; Biomarkers in Muscular Asymmetry; Population-Specific Model
Abudukelimu, N., Du, J., Zhang, P., M, L., Shen, Y., Mao, Y., Wang, D.-F., & Zhu, Q. (2024). Association of Handgrip Strength Weakness and Asymmetry with Cognitive Decline and Depressive Symptoms in Older Chinese Adults. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4608685/v1
Adamo, D. E., Scotland, S., & Martin, B. J. (2012). Asymmetry in grasp force matching and sense of effort. Experimental Brain Research, 217(2), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00221-011-2991-6
Aeles, J., Bellett, M., Lichtwark, G. A., & Cresswell, A. G. (2022). The effect of small changes in rate of force development on muscle fascicle velocity and motor unit discharge behaviour. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(4), 1035–1044. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04905-7
Agtuahene, M. A., Quartey, J., & Kwakye, S. (2023). Influence of hand dominance, gender, and body mass index on hand grip strength. South African Journal of Physiotherapy, 79(1). https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajp_v79_n1_a1923
Aoki, H., Demura, S., Takahashi, K., & Shinohara, H. (2021). Lateral dominance involving hand grip strength among soft tennis players, swimmers, and general people. American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 9(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajssm-9-1-1
Baek, J., Kim, Y., & Kim, H. Y. (2023). Associations Between Fall Risk and Handgrip Strength Asymmetry Among Older Korean Women: A Cross-Sectional Study Using National Survey Data. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 35(4), 297–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/10105395231167487
Bailey, C. A., Sato, K., Burnett, A., & Stone, M. H. (2015). Force-production asymmetry in male and female athletes of differing strength levels. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 10(4), 504–508. https://doi.org/10.1123/IJSPP.2014-0379
Bardo, A., Kivell, T. L., Town, K., Donati, G., Ballieux, H., Stamate, C., Edginton, T., & Forrester, G. S. (2021). Get a grip: Variation in human hand grip strength and implications for human evolution. Symmetry, 13(7), 1142. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13071142
Bishop, C., Turner, A. N., & Read, P. J. (2017). Training methods and considerations for practitioners to reduce interlimb asymmetries. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 1. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000354
Dopsaj, M., Andraos, Z., Richa, C., Abou Mitri, A., Makdissi, E., El Zoghbi, A., Cherepov, E. A., Dandachi, R., Masiulis, N., Erlikh, V. V., Nenasheva, A. V., Zuožienė, I. J., Marković, S., & Fayyad, F. (2022). Maximal and explosive strength normative data for handgrip test according to gender: International standardization approach. Human Movement, 23(4), 77-87. https://doi.org/10.5114/hm.2022.108314
Dopsaj, M., Mijalkovski, Z., Vasilovski, N., Ćopić, N., Brzaković, M., & Marković, M. (2018). Morphological parameters and handgrip muscle force contractile characteristics in the first selection level in water polo: Differences between U15 water polo players and the control group. Human Sport Medicine, 18(3), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.14529/hsm180301
Erdağı, K., Tüfekçi, O., Yeşeri, M., Yüksel, M., Turgut, N., & Eroğlu, B. E. (2020). A study on the determination of handgrip strength of Olympic style weightlifting athletes. Physical Education of Students, 24(3), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2020.0303
Giuriato, G., Romanelli, M. G., Bartolini, D., Vernillo, G., Pedrinolla, A., Moro, T., Franchi, M., Locatelli, E., Emadi Andani, M., Laginestra, F. G., Barbi, C., Aloisi, G. F., Cavedon, V., Milanese, C., Orlandi, E., De Simone, T., Fochi, S., Patuzzo, C., Malerba, G., … Venturelli, M. (2024). Sex differences in neuromuscular and biological determinants of isometric maximal force. Acta Physiologica, 240(4), e14118. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.14118
Gutnik, B. I., Skurvydas, A., Zuoza, A. K., Zuoziene, I., Mickevičienė, D., Alekrinskis, A., & Nash, D. (2015). Evaluation of bilateral asymmetry between upper limb masses in right-handed young adults of both sexes. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 120(3), 804–815. https://doi.org/10.2466/25.10.PMS.120V16X3
Häkkinen, K. (1991). Force production characteristics of leg extensor, trunk flexor and extensor muscles in male and female basketball players. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 31(3), 325–331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1798300/
Kanehisa, H., Okuyama, H., Ikegawa, S., & Fukunaga, T. (1996). Sex difference in force generation capacity during repeated maximal knee extensions. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 73(6), 557–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00357679
Kljajić, D., Eminović, F., Trgovčević, S., Dimitrijević, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2012). Functional relationship between dominant and non-dominant hand in motor task - hand grip strength endurance. Specijalna Edukacija i Rehabilitacija, 11(1), 67–85. https://doi.org/10.5937/SPECEDREH1201067K
McGrath, R., Clark, B. C., Cesari, M., Johnson, C., Jurivich, D. A., & Jurivich, D. A. (2021). Handgrip strength asymmetry is associated with future falls in older Americans. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(9), 2461–2469. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40520-020-01757-Z
McGrath, R., Lang, J. J., Ortega, F. B., Chaput, J.-P., Zhang, K., Smith, J., Vincent, B. M., Castro Piñero, J., Cuenca García, M., & Tomkinson, G. R. (2022). Handgrip strength asymmetry is associated with slow gait speed and poorer standing balance in older Americans. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 102, 104716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104716
Miller, M. S., Bedrin, N. G., Ades, P. A., Palmer, B. M., & Toth, M. J. (2015). Molecular determinants of force production in human skeletal muscle fibers: Effects of myosin isoform expression and cross-sectional area. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 308(6), C473–C484. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00391.2014
Noguchi, T., Demura, S., & Aoki, H. (2009). Superiority of the dominant and nondominant hands in static strength and controlled force exertion. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 109(2), 339–346. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.109.2.339-346
Park, W., Choi, W., Jo, H., Lee, G., & Kim, J. (2020). Analysis of control characteristics between dominant and non-dominant hands by transient responses of circular tracking movements in 3D virtual reality space. Sensors, 20(12), 3477. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20123477
Peng, L., Xiang, Q., Zhou, Y., & Yin, R. (2024). Associations of Handgrip Strength Weakness and Asymmetry with Lower Cognitive Function: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2014). Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-231375
Perna, F. M., Coa, K., Troiano, R. P., Lawman, H. G., Wang, C.-Y., Li, Y., Moser, R. P., Ciccolo, J. T., Comstock, B. A., & Kraemer, W. (2016). Muscular Grip Strength Estimates of the U.S. Population from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(3), 867–874. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001104
Wang, W., Wang, B., & Wang, Y. (2024). Low handgrip strength with asymmetry is associated with elevated all-cause mortality risk in older Chinese adults with abdominal obesity. PLOS ONE, 19(8), e0306982. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306982
Werle, S., Goldhahn, J., Drerup, S., Simmen, B. R., Sprott, H., & Herren, D. B. (2009). Age- and gender-specific normative data of grip and pinch strength in a healthy adult Swiss population. Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), 34(1), 76–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/1753193408096763
Wong, V., Song, J. S., Yamada, Y., Kataoka, R., Hammert, W. B., Spitz, R. W., & Loenneke, J. P. (2024). Is there evidence for the asymmetrical transfer of strength to an untrained limb? European Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05472-9
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright © 2025 Zahi Andraos