Handgrip strength of skiers is not an ideal biomarker of a person’s fitness

Dear Editor, We read with interest the article by Burtscher et al. on hand grip strength measured with a hand dynamometer at various locations along Tyrolean ski slopes in 757 recreational skiers compared to 1021 community residents.1 Most of the male subjects and half of the female subjects had higher grip strength of the dominant hand compared to the control subjects.1The grip strength of the skiers decreased with age to a similar extent as that of the reference population. The relative grip strength correlated positively with physical activity and the number of skiing days per year and negatively with body weight.1 It was concluded that hand grip strength is related to the type, amount and intensity of regular physical activity and that the results support recommendations for training or rehabilitation.1 The study is noteworthy, but several points should be discussed. [...].