Test de force de préhension

Ce que ça mesure

This test measures your handgrip strength — the maximum squeezing force your dominant hand can generate, recorded in kilograms using a handgrip dynamometer. Grip strength is a validated proxy for whole-body skeletal muscle strength and lean mass. Large prospective studies have established it as a powerful independent predictor of functional decline, disability, and all-cause mortality across adult life, making it one of the most clinically informative single-number measures of physical health.

Comment ça marche

You squeeze a calibrated handgrip dynamometer as hard as possible (best of three attempts, dominant hand, arm hanging straight). Your reading is compared against the Dodds et al. (2014) British population normative centile tables — derived from 49,964 participants across 12 general-population studies — and placed in one of five categories from Well below average to Well above average for your age and sex. For users without a dynamometer, a proxy method (timed dead-hang or hand-gripper repetitions) provides a rough estimate.

Conseils pour un résultat fiable

• 1Resistance training improves grip at any age — Two sessions of whole-body resistance training per week — including rows, pull-downs, dead lifts, or farmer's carries — consistently raises grip strength in adults of all ages. Even simple exercises such as squeezing a stress ball or resistance putty daily can produce modest improvements within weeks.
• 2Grip strength declines faster after 65 — act early — The Dodds et al. data show that median grip strength falls by around 1–1.5 kg per decade between ages 30 and 60, then accelerates to roughly 2–3 kg per decade after 65. Building strength reserves in your 40s and 50s gives more headroom as you age.
• 3A single very low reading warrants a GP visit — In research settings, grip below the 10th percentile (roughly < 30 kg for men under 50, or < 18 kg for women) is used as an indicator of sarcopaenia (muscle wasting). If your reading is in the 'Well below average' range, mention it at your next routine appointment.
• 4Track changes over time rather than a single snapshot — A single measurement tells you where you stand today; repeat testing every 6–12 months tells you whether your strength is stable, declining, or improving. A downward trend of more than 2–3 kg in a year without a clear cause (e.g. illness or inactivity) is worth discussing with a clinician.
• 5Nutrition and sleep support muscle strength — Adequate protein (≥ 1.2 g/kg body weight/day) and 7–9 hours of sleep each night both support muscle protein synthesis. Grip strength can fall measurably after periods of poor sleep or significant under-eating, even without changes in training.