Husnain Ahmad Khan, Khadijah Junaid, Irha Jamshaid, Muhammad Azeem Khaliq, Huma Saeed Khan, Madiha Ahmad, Shahid Hasan.
Effect of recreational sports on handgrip strength and anthropometry in adolescent basketball and volleyball players.
Pak J Physiol Jan ;15(1):37-40.

Objective: Comparing hand anthropometry in adolescent basketball and volleyball players at a local college. Methods: 74 participants, 18-23 years recruited after informed consent. Purposive sampling used; 45 volleyball and 29 recreational, basketball players. Anthropometric measurements: Height, Weight, Body Mass Index, Dominant hand length, hand-span, upper extremity length and upper extremity bulk. Hand grip strength done by Biopac (SS2LB) on both hands. Results: Dominant hand length, basketball players=7.8 ± 0.4″; volleyball players =7.6 ± 0.4″; (statistical difference, p-value 0.016). Difference between the two groups for dominant hand span was insignificant. Dominant upper extremity bulk for basketball players > volleyball players (12.5 ± 1.4″ and 11.9 ± 0.9″, respectively). Comparison between dominant and non-dominant hand grip strength within volleyball players, revealed significant p-value; mean hand grip strength for dominating hand > non-dominating hand. Same comparison was done for basketball players; no significant difference. Categorical analysis showed non-dominating hand grip strength significantly different between volleyball and basketball players. No participant with strength < 15 kg was among basketball players but 5 (11.1%) among volleyball players. Similarly, 6 (20.7%) among basket-ballers had strength > 45 kg and only 3 (6.7%) among volleyball players. Similar difference observed for dominating upper extremity bulk. Regression analysis showed non-dominating hand strength depends on hand length. Difference between the players for dominating and non-dominating hand grip strength was insignificant. Conclusion: Anthropometric data helps design specific sports training and justifies treatment and rehabilitation protocols in muscle physiology.

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