Tell me what your grip strength is and I’ll tell you how you age

Domestic sports fans had the opportunity to celebrate when, last Saturday, tennis player Alejandro Tabilo won the first ATP title of his career after becoming champion in Auckland, Australia.

But the joy did not last long: two days later, Tabilo was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open. However, there was enough time to raise a glass at home, toasting the athlete’s success and, incidentally, memories of an increasingly distant golden age of Chilean tennis.

Between the magic of Chino Ríos, the bombs of Fernando González and the efforts of Nicolás Massú, pushing his physical abilities to the extreme to shoot long and tortuous matches. How to forget your “nothing is impossible” ?

A drink in your mouth to celebrate what another person is doing with a racket. Beyond the differences between the physical exertion of hitting balls at nearly 200 kilometers per hour and the refreshing reward of holding a full glass of your favorite beverage, there is a crucial commonality between the two actions: the strength of grip.

In tennis, the action of holding a racket is known as handle and, for the comfort of each tennis player, there are three specific styles to achieve it. They all rely on grip strength, also known as “grip,” to hold your tool.

He hand shake o Grip strength is not only essential in tennis. It is also in the daily life of anyone who has their hands: it allows them to take care of food, hygiene and personal care, as well as those related to mobility, as well as the accumulation of domestic or labor problems, among others. other stuff.

Although holding cutlery, grabbing a glass, dressing, writing, or holding on to a handrail when going up or down stairs seem like such simple actions, as we age they can become increasingly complex, a bit like returning a ball to a professional tennis player.

This is due to the loss of grip strength, a deterioration that can affect the quality of life, the capacity for autonomy and which, in addition, can be linked to the development of various diseases.

“Grip strength primarily uses the muscles of the hand and forearm. To do this, we have in hand the intrinsic muscles (called lumbricals and interosseous) and the global muscles (wrist flexors and extensors),” explains Nicolás Yáñez, kinesiologist at Alemana Sport.

By age 30, women and men generally show the peak strength of your musculoskeletal system. However, by age 40, muscles begin to decline and deteriorate. A phenomenon which, according to Yáñez, is accentuated by sedentary lifestyle habits. This deterioration can give rise to sarcopenia, a condition typical of old age that involves a loss of muscle mass, strength and function.

“Typically, older patients start with a slight decrease in muscle function: this is seen when walking speed decreases, or when they have difficulty climbing stairs or getting up from a seated position,” describes Javier Baquedano, geriatrician at Red Salud. “This can then become more widespread, affecting even the simplest daily activities, such as picking up a shopping bag, bottle, cup or cooking. »

Sarcopenia can progress to a serious condition, leading the person to rely on assistance with basic daily activities, such as getting out of bed and staying mostly in bed. “In this state, even routine tasks like brushing your teeth, eating, and taking medications may require outside help,” adds Baquedano.

Florencia Buguña, kinesiologist at the Acalis nursing home, explains that sarcopenia and loss of grip strength are associated with increased risks of falls and hospitalizations, but also with the development of dementia and many other diseases that affect quality of life and the aging of the person. .

“A person who loses strength tends to isolate themselves more and move less,” he explains. “A vicious cycle is created between reduced movement, muscle mass and appetite, which implies a higher risk of falls and the development of diseases.”

It is therefore not surprising that grip strength is considered an indicator of people’s health status.

From 60 to 65 years old, assessing grip strength during geriatric consultations becomes routine, explains Francisco Baquedano. Although it is carried out to measure the possible evolution of sarcopenia, it can also be an indicator of the development of other types of pathologies.

A study published in 2018 by British Journal of Management It associates the loss of grip strength with the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain carcinogens, in which the loss of muscle mass is common, as well as a deficit in strength.

“If we consider that the heart is a muscular organ, with the presence of smooth muscle in all blood vessels, and that the diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle, we can establish the relationship that an individual with poorer health “muscle tends to be less active, generating a vicious circle. This link has a direct and indirect impact on cardiovascular health, increasing the likelihood of developing respiratory diseases,” explains Baquedano.

One example is what happens to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition, explains Nicolás Yáñez, influences general muscle function, thus generating a loss of strength which, among other functions, affects the ability to press or grip.

“Grip strength can be a useful marker for assessing general health due to its connection with various physiological and lifestyle aspects,” explains kinesiologist Alemana Sport.

Therefore, as Florencia Bugueño says, the assessment of grip strength is a relevant procedure to generate intervention plans adapted to the state of health and functional capacity of each elderly person. “It is important to monitor how he moves, how he tolerates physical exertion and how he behaves in certain activities, such as walking and running, in which strength and frailty are involved.”

Considering the relationship between grip strength, people’s health status and the quality of life of elderly people, it is recommended to pay attention to exercising and maintaining their functions.

Here are some keys to achieving this goal:

• Maintain a healthy diet rich in protein : “These are essential for maintaining muscles,” explains Baquedano. Hopefully not with fortified foods, but rather with those that naturally contain them, such as dairy products, legumes, quinoa and lean meats.
• Regular exercise: Florencia Bugueño says that the ideal is to exercise at least 150 minutes – or two and a half hours – per week to have a healthy and protective physical condition against the development of diseases. “It can be any type of exercise that the person enjoys. Any physical activity that develops muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance and muscle mass gain has been proven to increase grip strength.
• The focus should be balanced and multifunctional: Ideally, exercise covers aerobic aspects, flexibility, balance and strength to ensure adequate muscle health. In this sense, swimming and exercising in a pool are highly recommended. “Water provides natural resistance to movement, and by adding fins or other elements that increase resistance, additional strengthening of the extremities is achieved, thereby improving the force applied during the exercise,” explains Baquedano.
• Sand dumbbells and resistance bands: These are useful tools for working on grip strength. Nicolás Yáñez says that even using stress balls and lifting 500 cc bottles helps achieve this goal.
• Better if the physical activity is done in a company: Just as physical exercise is important, socializing is also important for people’s mental health.
• “Listen to your body and rest if you feel pain” Yanez said. Especially if the person has a health problem. In these cases, “it is important to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.”

Baquedano emphasizes that you shouldn’t wait until you have sarcopenia. “The goal is to prevent the muscle decline curve from being steep. » Later you will thank yourself. Whether you have a racket, a club or a glass of wine in your hand.