Association Between Aerobic Exercise and Handgrip Strength in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014–2017)

Objectives Handgrip strength is an easy-to-assess indicator of overall muscle strength and can be used to evaluate health status. Although previous studies have reported an increase in grip strength due to aerobic exercise, such a study has not been conducted on Korean participants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on handgrip strength and examine the association between these two variables in Korean patients with hypertension or diabetes. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting This study used data from the 6th and 7th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014–2017). Participants A total of 19,650 individuals aged ≥19 years who had responded to questionnaires concerning aerobic exercise and handgrip strength were analyzed. Measurements The relationship between aerobic activity and handgrip strength was examined by logistic regression analysis. Results The mean age of individuals in the low muscle strength group was higher than that in the normal muscle strength group. The odds ratio for low handgrip strength was higher in individuals who did not perform aerobic exercise than in those who performed aerobic exercise. Following adjustment for covariates, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for low handgrip strength were 1.415 (0.187–1.688) in the total sample, 1.799 (1.376–2.352) in patients with hypertension, and 1.811 (1.208–2.715) in patients with diabetes. Conclusion The results of our study indicated a strong association between aerobic exercise and handgrip strength in the Korean population.