This study examines gender differences and laterality in maximal handgrip strength and controlled force exertion (CFE) in young adults. The subjects were 75 healthy young males (mean age 19.6 ± 1.6 yrs.) and 50 healthy young females (mean age 20.9 ± 1.9 yrs.). Maximal handgrip strength was measured twice. The subjects performed the CFE test three times after one practice trial. They matched their handgrip strengths to the demand values, which constantly changed and ranged from 5 to 25% of maximal handgrip strength. The difference between the demand value and the grip exertion value was used as an estimate of CFE. Maximal handgrip strength was significantly larger in males than in females in both the dominant and non-dominant hands, and was significantly larger in the dominant hand in both males and females. Insignificant gender differences were found in CFE of both hands. CFE was significantly superior in the dominant hand in both genders. In conclusions, gender differences are present in maximal handgrip strength of the dominant and non-dominant hands in young adults, but not in CFE of both hands. Laterality exists in maximal handgrip strength and in CFE for both genders.
KeywordsHumanHandgrip StrengthNeuromuscular Function
Henatsch, H.D. and Langer, H.H. (1985) Basic neurophysiology of motor skills in sport: A review. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 6, 2-14. doi:10.1055/s-2008-1025805
Nagasawa, Y. and Demura, S. (2002) Development of an apparatus to estimate coordinated exertion of force. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 94, 899-913.
Nagasawa, Y., Demura, S. and Kitabayashi, T. (2004) Concurrent validity of tests to measure the coordinated exertion of force by computerized target pursuit. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 98, 551-560. doi:10.2466/pms.98.2.551-560
Christine, L. W. (1985) Women, sport, & performance. Human Kinetics Publishers Ltd. Leeds.
Montoye, H.J. and Lamphiear, D.E. (1977) Grip and arm strength in males and females, age 10 to 69. Research Quarterly, 48, 109-120.
Anianson, A., Rundgren, A. and Sperling, L. (1980) Evaluation of functional capacity in activities of daily living in 70-year-old men and women. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 12, 145-154.
Sperling, L. (1980) Evaluation of upper extremity function in 70-year-old men and women. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 12, 139-144.
Ruff, R.M. and Parker, S.B. (1993) Gender- and age- specific changes in motor speed and eye-hand coordination in adults: normative values for the Finger Tapping and Grooved Pegboard Tests. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 76, 1219-1230. doi:10.2466/pms.1993.76.3c.1219
Speller, L., Trollinger, J.A., Maurer, P.A., Nelson, C.E. and Bauer, D.F. (1997) Comparison of the test-retest reliability of the Work Box using three administrative methods. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51, 516-522. doi:10.5014/ajot.51.7.516
York, J.L. and Biederman, I. (1990) Effects of age and sex on reciprocal tapping performance. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 71, 675-684.
Kimura, M., Hirakawa, K., Okuno, T., Oda, Y., Morimoto, T., Kitani, T., Fujita, D. and Nagata, H. (1989) An analysis of physical fitness in the aged people with fitness battery test. Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 38, 175-185.
Nagasawa, Y., Demura, S., Yamaji, S., Kobayashi, H. and Matsuzawa, J. (2000) Ability to coordinate exertion of force by the dominant hand: Comparisons among university students and 65- to 78-year-old men and women. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 90, 995-1007.
Nagasawa, Y., Demura, S. and Hamazaki, H. (2010) Age and sex differences of controlled force exertion measured by a computer-generated quasi-random target-pursuit system. Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions, 10, 237-244.
Dolcos, F., Rice, H.J. and Cabeza, R. (2002) Hemispheric asymmentry and aging: right hemisphere decline or asymmetry reduction. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 26, 819- 825. doi:10.1016/S0149-7634(02)00068-4
Geshwind, N. and Behan, P. (1982) Left-handedness: Association with immune disease, migraine, and developmental learning disorder. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 79, 5097-5100. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.16.5097
Gur, R.C., Turetsky, B.I., Matsui, M., Yan, M., Bilker, W., Hughett, P. and Gur, R.E. (1999) Sex differences in brain gray and white matter in health young adults: Correlations with cognitive performance. Journal of Neuroscience, 19, 4065- 4072.
Roy, E.A., Bryden, P. and Cavill, S. (2003) Hand differences in pegboard performance through development. Brain and Cognition, 53, 315-317. doi:10.1016/S0278-2626(03)00133-7
Chi, J.G., Dooling, E.C. and Gilles, F.H. (1977) Left-right asymmetry of the temporal speech areas of the human fetus. Archives of Neurology, 34, 346-348.
Noguchi, T., Demura, S. and Aoki, H. (2009) Superiority of dominant and nondominant hands in static strength and controlled force exertion. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 109, 339-346. doi:10.2466/pms.109.2.339-346
Ohtsuki, H., Hasebe, S., Okano, M. and Furuse, T. (1997) Comparison of surgical results of responders and non- responders to prism adaptation test in intermittent exotropia. Acta Ophthalmol Scand, 75, 528-531. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0420.1997.tb00143.x
Demura, S., Sato. S. and Nagasawa, Y. (2009) Re-examination of useful items for determining hand dominance. Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche, 168, 169-177.
Crosby, C.A., Wehbe, M.A. and Mawr, B. (1994) Hand strength: normative values. Journal of Hand Surgery, 19, 665-670. doi:10.1016/0363-5023(94)90280-1
Aoki, H. and Demura, S. (2008) The effect of gender and lateral dominance on gripping muscle power in young adults. Sports Science for Health, 3, 1-6. doi:10.1007/s11332-008-0054-6
Aoki, H. and Demura, S. (2009) Laterality of hand grip and elbow flexion power in young male and female adults. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 4, 355-366.
Houx, P.J. and Jolles, J. (1993) Age-related decline of psychomotor speed: Effects of age, brain health, sex, and education. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 76, 195-211. doi:10.2466/pms.1993.76.1.195
Nagasawa, Y., Demura, S., Yamaji, S. and Shimada, S. (2001) Relationship between physical fitness and ability to coordinate exertion of force with reference to sex difference in healthy middle- and old-aged people. Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 50, 425-436.
Haward, B.M. and Griffin, M.J. (2002) Repeatability of grip strength and dexterity tests and the effects of age and gender. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 75, 111-119.
Demura, S., Yamaji, S., Goshi, F. and Nagasawa, Y. (2001) Lateral dominance of legs in maximal muscle power, muscular endurance, and grading ability. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 93, 11-23.
Annett, M. (1975) Hand preference and the laterality of cerebral speech. Cortex, 11, 305-328.
Yamamoto, T. (2001) For practical and scientific conditioning measurement and assessment. Tokyo Book House HD, Tokyo.