INTRODUCTION:
Grip strength is the ability of the hand to perform tasks, imprint forces, and hold objects. One of the many sports that make predominant use of handgrip strength is judo, in which the handgrip is essential for enabling the athlete to dominate the opponent, as it is linked to the ability to strike a blow. This study assesses handgrip strength in judo athletes.
METHODS:
The study involved the participation of 30 judo athletes: 15 white belts and 15 black belts, who were subjected to a handgrip strength evaluation with a Jamar(r) handgrip dynamometer. Descriptive statistics (average and standard deviation) were used for the analysis of anthropometric data, the Student t test was used to check homogeneity between the groups, and the Shapiro-Wilk test to check the distribution. For the analysis of intra- and intergroup comparison, the Mann-Whitney test was used for independent samples (p ≤ 0.05). The data were presented using the BioEstat 5.0 software.
RESULTS:
The results showed that the black belt judo athletes had a significantly greater handgrip strength in the dominant hand when compared to the non-dominant hand, and also significantly higher compared to the white belt athletes, in both the dominant and non-dominant hands.
CONCLUSION:
Black belt judo athletes have stronger handgrip strength than white belt athletes, suggesting that a longer time practicing the sport improves handgrip strength in both hands.
martial arts; hand strength; muscle strength dynamometer
