Grip strength performances by 5- to 19-year-olds.

Accurate measures of muscular strength can yield insights about children's growth and development. The purpose of this study was to examine grip strength performances by boys and girls ages 5 to 19 years. A Jamar dynamometer was used to measure grip strength by 736 boys and girls ages 5 to 19 years. Multiple regression equations were applied to analyze the data. Overall, age-sex trends were similar to previous reports as boys and girls increased their performances across age levels. After age 12, boys' mean grip strength increased at a faster rate than girls'. However, participants in the present study performed better in the upper age ranges (13-19 yr.) than did boys and girls tested a generation ago. Potential associations between activity choices and grip strength are discussed.