Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Sport Sciences for Health https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00577-7 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Maximal isometric handgrip strength in judo athletes from different age groups Emerson Franchini 1  · Juliano Schwartz 1,2  · Monica Yuri Takito 3 Received: 2 December 2018 / Accepted: 23 July 2019 © Springer-Verlag Italia S.r.l., part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Purpose This study aimed to compare the maximal isometric handgrip strength of 546 male judo athletes from different age groups (Cadet = 58; Junior = 118; Senior = 220; 30–39 years = 108; 40–49 years = 31; 51–59 years = 16). Methods Absolute and relative values were calculated for each hand and for the sum of both hands. Age groups were com- pared through a one-way analysis of variance, followed by Tukey test. The effect size was determined by partial eta squared. Results There was an effect of age category for the right and left absolute handgrip strength, with lower values for the Cadets compared to all other age groups (p < 0.05). However, no age category effect was found for relative variables. Conclusions The differences in maximal isometric handgrip strength between age groups in judo are mainly related to dif- ferences in body mass. This suggests that judo can act as a relevant intervention to handgrip strength. Keywords Aging · Force · Combat sports · Martial arts · Health Introduction Judo is a grappling Olympic combat sport, where grip dis- pute is a key element to control the opponent and score, as all judo techniques are based on gripping the opponent’s judogi (judo uniform). In official judo competitions, ath- letes are divided according to their sex, age and body mass [1]. Thus, developing maximal grip strength and strength endurance is a fundamental aspect of judo athletes training process [2, 3]. Despite the relevance of grip strength for judo performance, no study compared a large range of age groups concerning this variable. In fact, the importance of maximal handgrip strength seems to vary across age groups. Bonitch- Góngora et al. [4] observed that national-level adolescent judo athletes achieved higher maximal handgrip strength values compared to regional-level judo athletes, whereas Franchini et al. [5] did not find any difference between elite and non-elite adult judo athletes. Probably, this difference between age groups can be related to the fact that a large maturational variation occur in the Cadet age group and early maturing athletes may achieve better results at this age. Handgrip strength has also been used in epidemiological studies and has been reported to be a predictor of several health outcomes, including chronic morbidities, functional disabilities, and all-cause mortality, with weaker individuals increasing their risk and stronger individuals presenting a protective effect [6]. Thus, exercise and sport training pro- grams aimed to increase maximal handgrip strength across the lifespan can be considered an important approach to improve the quality of life of those involved in such practices [6]. In a large sample of the Canadian population [7], abso- lute handgrip strength of 20–29 years old men was similar to those in the 30–39 years old group, and only 3.7% lower in 40–49 years old men. However, the 50–60 years old and 60–70 years old groups presented substantially lower values (11% and 18%, respectively) compared with the 20–29 years old group [7]. A meta-analysis [8] indicated that the absolute right maximal isometric handgrip strength values achieved in the 25–29-year-old male group (mean: 33.8, 95% confi- dence interval: 29.5–38.1 kgf) were similar to those up to 45–49-year-old group (mean: 33.9, 95% confidence interval: 28.9–39.0 kgf), but values at 50–54 years old were 8.6% * Emerson Franchini emersonfranchini@hotmail.com 1 Martial Arts and Combat Sports Research Group, Sport Department, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 2 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 3 Human Movement Pedagogy Department, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil