Contributions of muscle mass to force production in different maturation stages

Abstract

Objectives: The aim in this study was to analyze the relationship between handgrip strength and muscle mass. Method: One hundred and forty five subjects (aged between 8 and 16 years) were divided into three groups: pre-puberty, puberty and post-puberty. The arm muscle area was estimated by anthropometry and skinfolds, and handgrip strength was evaluated with hydraulic dynamometer. The maturation stages were compared by using the Kruskall-Wallis test followed by U for Mann-Whitnney the location of differences. Spearman correlations was used to handgrip strength and muscle mass (p<0.05). Results: Handgrip strength and AMA were higher in post-puberty subjects, followed by puberty and pre-puberty (p<0.05). There was correlation between AMA and handgrip strength in the three maturational stages (pre-puberty: rho=0.49; puberty: rho=0.74, and pos-puberty: rho=0.70. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that handgrip strength is related with muscle mass; however, this relationship is also true in the early maturational stages.