HOW FOREARM POSITION AFFECTS GRIP STRENGTH

Objective. Several studies have indicated that changing body positions results in altered grip strengths. Although one might expect that gri p strength would be influenced by the position of the forearm during g ripping due to the biomechanical properties of the forearm and hand mu scles, no investigations of this variable have been undertaken. Method . This study examined the effect on grip strength of moving the forear m among supinated neutral, and pronated positions while maintaining th e standard position recommended by the American Society of Hand Therap ists. The mean of three grip trials in each position was recorded for each of 106 subjects. Results. Grips in forearm supination were the st rongest followed by grips in the neutral position. Grips in pronation were the weakest Conclusions. The changes in grip strength observed wi th variations in forearm position further support the necessity of a s tandard position for testing grip strength. The knowledge of how chang es in body position effect the strength of the grip can be used to des ign environments and tools to maximize biomechanical abilities.