Laterality of hand grip and elbow flexion power in right hand-dominant individuals.

PURPOSE This study aimed to compare the laterality, and its gender difference, of hand grip and elbow flexion power according to load in right hand-dominant individuals. METHODS The subjects were 15 healthy young males (age 22.1 +/- 0.7 y, height 171.3 +/- 3.4 cm, mass 64.5 +/- 4.1 kg) and 15 healthy young females (age 22.4 +/- 1.0 y, height 161.1 +/- 3.0 cm, mass 55.4 +/- 4.6 kg). Isotonic peak power was measured with 6 different loads ranging from 20% to 70% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) for grip and elbow flexion movements. RESULTS The peak power was significantly larger in males than in females in both movements (ratio, males:females was 58.1:49.4%). The dominant right hand had larger peak power in all loads for hand grip power (ratio, dominant:nondominant was 83.6:71.1%) and in loads of 20% to 50% MVC for elbow flexion power (88.7:85.7%) in both genders, confirming laterality in both movements. The peak power ratio of the dominant right hand to the nondominant left hand was significantly larger in hand grip than in elbow flexion for all loads in females. CONCLUSION Even though laterality was confirmed in both grip and elbow flexion, gender difference is more marked in hand grip.