Handgrip strength of skiers is not an ideal biomarker of a person’s fitness

Dear Editor,

We read with interest the article by Burtscher et al. on hand grip strength measured with a hand dynamometer at various locations along Tyrolean ski slopes in 757 recreational skiers compared to 1021 community residents.¹ Most of the male subjects and half of the female subjects had higher grip strength of the dominant hand compared to the control subjects.¹The grip strength of the skiers decreased with age to a similar extent as that of the reference population. The relative grip strength correlated positively with physical activity and the number of skiing days per year and negatively with body weight.¹ It was concluded that hand grip strength is related to the type, amount and intensity of regular physical activity and that the results support recommendations for training or rehabilitation.¹ The study is noteworthy, but several points should be discussed. [...]