Handgrip strength, physical activity level and quality of life of Judo master competitors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate and test the correlation between isometric handgrip (IH), physical activity level (PA) and quality of life (QOL) of master judo competitors. The sample was composed by 44 men (45-64 years) participating in the Pan-American Master Judo Championships, 2011. To evaluate the handgrip strength was used isometric handgrip test. Additionally, were employed WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). In the statistical analysis, after checking the normal distribution of the data, they are presented as mean [95% confidence interval]. In the comparison between age groups, we conducted analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc. For bivariate correlations, we used the Pearson test. The judo athletes showed: 1) high amount of PA (661 [513-810] min of moderate to vigorous PA) when considering the population recommendations; 2) moderate values of FIPM (bilateral sum equal to 87.1 [82.3 -91.9] kgf) compared with physically active people and the elderly; and 3) QOL scores higher than in other studies. Additionally, we highlight two main findings, no significant differences in subjective perception of QOL and FIPM by age groups and positive correlation between weekly amount of moderate to vigorous PA and QoL scores.