Grip Strength by Age: Centile Table and Cut-Off Points

What Counts as a Good Grip Strength

The sources give no single number labelled as a good grip strength for an adult. A reading is a position on the Dodds centile table. Dodds and colleagues compiled normative data from 49,964 participants across twelve general population studies in Great Britain. In that analysis, male median grip strength reached 51 kg between ages 29 and 39. Female median grip reached 31 kg between ages 26 and 42.

The only fixed cut-offs the sources give (27 kg and 16 kg) mark weakness, not a healthy target. EWGSOP2 identifies low muscle strength as a grip under 27 kg for men and under 16 kg for women.

The 27 kg cut-off for men falls near the 10th centile at age 70 (29 kg) and age 75 (26 kg, from the same Dodds table). The 16 kg cut-off for women equals the 10th centile at age 70. This is a comparison of two tables, not a clinical rule. Reference populations differ.

How Grip Strength Changes Across Life

Grip strength follows three distinct phases over a human lifespan according to Dodds and colleagues. The first phase consists of an increase to peak levels during early adult life. The second phase shows maintenance through to midlife. The third phase displays a decline from midlife onwards.

Males were on average stronger than females from adolescence onwards. Among males, mean grip rose from 41.5 kg (standard deviation 7.3) at age 20 to 51.6 kg (standard deviation 9.6) at age 30. Male median values remained at 51 kg at age 35, before registering 50 kg at age 40 and 48 kg at age 50. By age 60, the male median dropped to 45 kg. It reached 39 kg at age 70 and 32 kg at age 80.

This represents a 19 kg drop in the male median between age 30 and age 80. Female mean strength was 28.4 kg (standard deviation 5.1) at age 20. It was 31.4 kg (standard deviation 6.0) at age 30. The female median held at 31 kg through age 40. It was 29 kg at age 50 and 27 kg at age 60. It fell to 24 kg at age 70 and 19 kg at age 80, a drop of 12 kg from age 30.

Weak grip increased sharply with age in the pooled British analysis. Dodds and colleagues defined weak grip as strength at least 2.5 standard deviations below the gender-specific peak mean. By age 80, weak grip reached a prevalence of 23% in males and 27% in females. Dodds and colleagues report their findings were robust to dynamometer type and to measuring seated or standing. Eight of the twelve studies measured grip in mid to late adult life, with a median observation age of 58 years.

How Grip Strength Is Measured

Accurate measurement of grip strength requires a calibrated handheld dynamometer operated under well-defined test conditions. EWGSOP2 states that interpretation depends on appropriate reference populations. EWGSOP2 names the Jamar dynamometer as the validated and widely used device.

In the pooled British analysis, seven of the twelve studies used the Jamar dynamometer. Other studies included in the pooled dataset gathered measurements using other devices, including Smedley and Harpenden devices. Dodds and colleagues conducted sensitivity analyses evaluating these instrument variations. The published centile curves derived from GAMLSS models provide reference bands for ages 4 to 90.

What Grip Strength Has Been Linked To

In the PURE study, lower grip strength was associated with higher all-cause mortality. Leong and colleagues tracked 139,691 participants aged 35 to 70 across seventeen countries. Vital status was documented over a median follow-up period of 4.0 years, during which 3,379 participants (2%) died. Grip was measured using a Jamar dynamometer.

Each 5 kg reduction in grip strength was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.16 for all-cause mortality (95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.20). For cardiovascular mortality, the hazard ratio was 1.17 per 5 kg reduction. The hazard ratio was 1.07 for myocardial infarction and 1.09 for stroke per 5 kg drop. Leong and colleagues noted that grip strength was a stronger predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than systolic blood pressure.

Leong and colleagues report no significant association with incident diabetes, hospital admission for pneumonia or COPD, injury from falls, or fracture. This is an observational association, not a test of training to raise grip. Our how to live longer guide covers broader longevity topics.

Grip Strength, Sarcopenia and Muscle Loss

EWGSOP2 uses low muscle strength as the primary parameter of sarcopenia. Low grip strength makes the presence of sarcopenia probable, but confirmation requires documented deficits in muscle quantity or quality.

The EWGSOP2 cut-offs define low strength as under 27 kg for men and under 16 kg for women. Our sarcopenia page covers that condition. Our guide covers muscle loss with age.

Dodds and colleagues observed that grip strength serves as a core component of both sarcopenia and frailty phenotypes. Our resource covers biological age tests. Dodds and colleagues say the centile values may inform clinical assessment. A clinician interprets a reading.