Comparison of Grip Strength in Biker and Non-Biker Students of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Abstract

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is a low-cost biomarker of muscular fitness and health risk, but whether regular motorcycling is associated with higher HGS in young adults is unclear. Objective: To compare HGS between motorcyclist (“biker”) and non-motorcyclist university students and contextualize findings given key determinants of HGS. Methods: In a cross-sectional study at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan), 380 undergraduates (245 bikers; 135 non-bikers; age 18–25 years) completed standardized HGS testing with a CAMRY digital dynamometer (seated posture, shoulder adducted, elbow ~90°, forearm neutral, wrist slight extension/ulnar deviation). Three trials per hand were obtained; the maximum (kg) per hand was analyzed. Primary between-group comparisons used independent-samples Welch’s t-tests with mean difference (Δ), 95% confidence intervals (CI), p-values, and Hedges’ g. Results: Bikers exhibited higher unadjusted HGS than non-bikers for both hands: right hand 36.01 ± 9.09 kg vs 26.27 ± 8.78 kg (Δ = 9.74 kg, 95% CI 7.86–11.62, p < 0.001, g = 1.08) and left hand 34.50 ± 8.80 kg vs 24.44 ± 8.82 kg (Δ = 10.06 kg, 95% CI 8.20–11.92, p < 0.001, g = 1.14). Groups differed markedly by sex (bikers 88.6% male vs non-bikers 37.8% male), indicating substantial potential confounding of unadjusted effects. Conclusion: Motorcyclists showed markedly higher unadjusted HGS than non-motorcyclists; however, the large sex imbalance limits causal interpretation. Sex-stratified and covariate-adjusted analyses are warranted to determine whether motorcycling is independently associated with greater HGS and more symmetrical hand performance in this population