title: Normalizing handgrip strength in older adults: An allometric approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Handgrip strength is an important variable to assess as part of any health intervention among older adults. Although the use of allometric normalization is the appropriate approach for removing the body size effect in handgrip performance, the best body size variable for this normalization is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the use of three body size variables (body mass, fat-free mass and body height) in allometric normalization for Handgrip strength among older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from individuals admitted to the Elderly Care Center of the Open University of the Third Age were used, the sample consisting of 263 individuals (140 women), aged between 60-87.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results provided allometric exponents for normalization of HGS in each body size variable (body mass: 0.31; fat-free mass: 0.11; body height: 0.46). The correlations between normalized HGS and body size variables were significant (p<0.05) when HGS were normalized by body mass or fat-free mass. On the contrary, no significant correlations were found when HGS were normalized by body height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Body height seems to be the best body size variable for performing allometric normalization of HGS among older adults.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Social Dimensions Applied to Physical Activity and Sport (LABSAFE), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Zip Code: 23.897-000, Seropédica, Brazil. Electronic address: maranhaoneto@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Geraldo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Maranhao Neto
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Social Dimensions Applied to Physical Activity and Sport (LABSAFE), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Zip Code: 23.897-000, Seropédica, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aldair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Social Dimensions Applied to Physical Activity and Sport (LABSAFE), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Zip Code: 23.897-000, Seropédica, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Cunha de Melo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pedreiro
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Paulo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Pereira-Junior
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Social Dimensions Applied to Physical Activity and Sport (LABSAFE), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Zip Code: 23.897-000, Seropédica, Brazil; Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marques Neto
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Graduate Program, Salgado de Oliveira University (UNIVERSO), Zip Code: 24030-060, Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro- RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo T V
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Farinatti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Allometric models; Elderly; Handgrip dynamometer; Muscle strength; Physical condition