Handgrip Strength in French Adults: New Reference Values from the NutriNet-Santé Cohort
Muscle strength — particularly handgrip strength — is a well-established clinical indicator of musculoskeletal health and a predictor of sarcopenia, functional decline, and even mortality. Despite its importance, few normative data existed until now for the French adult population.
This study, conducted within the NutriNet-Santé cohort, aimed to establish age- and sex-specific reference values for handgrip strength among French adults and to identify sociodemographic and anthropometric factors associated with low muscle strength.
Methods
The analysis included a sample of 18,532 adults (5,262 men and 13,090 women), aged 18 to 91 years, who participated between 2011 and 2014. Handgrip strength was measured using a dynamometer, and the highest value for each hand was recorded. Results were analyzed both as absolute values (in kilograms) and relative values (adjusted for body weight and BMI).
Percentile curves (5th to 95th) were established for each sex and age group. Low handgrip strength was defined as below the 20th percentile, and its associations with sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric variables were evaluated using logistic regression models. Variables included age, education, income, smoking status, BMI, physical activity level, and sedentary time.
Key Results
- BMI played a major role: low BMI was strongly associated with lower handgrip strength in both men and women. Conversely, being overweight appeared protective in men (OR 0.77).
- Educational level was a determinant in women: lower education levels were associated with higher odds of low handgrip strength (OR between 0.78 and 0.84).
- Smoking status showed sex-specific associations: in men, former or current smokers had higher odds of low grip strength (OR 1.20 to 1.35), while an inverse association was observed in women (OR 0.86).
- Physical activity had a protective effect in both sexes, especially at higher levels (men OR 0.74; women OR 0.73).
- Age was a particularly strong factor in women starting at age 45, with increased odds of low grip strength in the 45–49 (OR 1.27) and 55–59 (OR 1.32) age groups.
Conclusions
This study provides, for the first time, normative handgrip strength values for French adults, which can be used to assess muscle strength in both clinical and public health settings. It also highlights key vulnerability factors, particularly among women, individuals with low BMI, and those with low physical activity.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41042151/
Abdouramane Soumaré 1, Jean-Michel Oppert 1 2, Laurent Bourhis 1, Alice Bellicha 1, Pilar Galan 1, Serge Hercberg 1, Mathilde Touvier 1, Léopold K Fezeu 1, Jérémy Vanhelst
Photo credit: unsplash.com
