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This weekend we had the opportunity to test the grip of over 100 strangers. I was interested in hearing what they did on a daily basis and how the correlated with their grip strength. For the most part it was consistent that those who did not lift weights regularly fell in or below the 50th percentile for their age group. The exception turned out to be those who worked as laborers or other jobs that required physical activity. So what does grip strength really say about your health, and where should your grip strength be based on your sex and age?
The following metrics are a minimum standard for males and females.
Males 20-40 should have a grip strenth of >120 lbs of force per hand
Females 20-40 should have a grip strength of >60 lbs of force per hand
Males 40-60 should have a grip strength of >100 lbs of force per hand
Females 40-60 should have a grip strength of >55 lbs of force per hand
Males 60+ should have a grip strength of 80+ lbs of force per hand
Females 60+ should have a grip strength of >50 lbs of force per hand
Keep in mind that these are minimum standards, and hovering near the minimum may indicate a potential for weakening grip without adequate training. Several diseases have shown a correlation with low HGS, e.g., Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney and liver disease, some cancers, sarcopenia and fragility fractures. The low HSG is also associated with increased hospitalization, nutritional status, overall mortality and quality of life (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10777545/)