Does Hand Grip Strength Serve as a Reliable Functional Marker for Quantifying Muscle Recovery?

Parveen Kumar; Rohit Rathee; Ari Tri Fitrianto

doi:10.60081/SSHA.3.1.2025.349-358

Authors

Parveen Kumar Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind, Haryana, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3580-7854
Rohit Rathee Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind, Haryana, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3729-7384
Ari Tri Fitrianto Associate Professor, Department of Sports Education, Faculty Education and Teaching, Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari, Banjarmasin, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0825-2128

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60081/SSHA.3.1.2025.349-358

Keywords:

Hand Grip Strength, Recovery, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Muscle Damage, Rehabilitation

Abstract

Objective: Hand grip strength (HGS) is widely used as an indicator of muscle function, but its potential as a direct marker of functional recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of hand grip strength (HGS) as a functional marker for quantifying muscle recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD).

Methods: A repeated-measures design was employed, wherein HGS and VAS were recorded at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess changes over time, followed by Tukey’s post hoc analysis. Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between HGS and VAS.

Results: Significant time effects were observed for both HGS (F (4,48) = 3.950, p = 0.008, η² = 0.248) and VAS (F (4,48) = 27.134, p = 0.000, η² = 0.693) scores (p < 0.05). HGS significantly declined immediately post-exercise, followed by a gradual recovery at 24 and 48 hours, with the smallest difference from baseline at 72 hours. VAS scores remained at zero at baseline, peaked between 24 and 48 hours, and declined at 72 hours. No significant correlation was found between HGS and VAS at any time point, indicating that these measures capture distinct aspects of muscle recovery.

Conclusion: HGS appears to be a useful objective marker of functional muscle recovery, particularly in settings requiring immediate assessment, such as sports competitions or rehabilitation. However, its use should be complemented with subjective measures like VAS to provide a comprehensive evaluation of muscle recovery post-EIMD.

Author Biographies

Parveen Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind, Haryana, India

parveenkumar@crsu.ac.in
Rohit Rathee, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind, Haryana, India

rohit@crsu.ac.in
Ari Tri Fitrianto, Associate Professor, Department of Sports Education, Faculty Education and Teaching, Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari, Banjarmasin, Indonesia

Aritri.fitrianto@uniska-bjm.ac.id

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