Warm-Up and Handgrip Strength in Physically Inactive Chilean Older Females According to Baseline Nutritional Status

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of different types of warm-ups on handgrip strength (HGS) in physically inactive older females. Secondarily, it aims to compare HGS according to their baseline nutritional status. A randomized crossover trial study was conducted with 44 physically inactive older females distributed into normal weight (n = 12, BMI = 23.9 ± 3.2 kg/m2), overweight (n =16, BMI = 27 ± 4.7 kg/m2) and obese (n = 16, BMI = 31.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2), who participated in three warm-up conditions (static stretching condition, SSC; elastic band condition, EBC; and therapeutic compression ball condition, TCBC) and one control condition (CC, no warm-up). All participants performed the four randomized conditions with recovery within 72 h. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in HGS for the dominant and non-dominant hands was observed when comparing SSC vs. CC. In contrast, comparing the warm-up conditions according to the baseline nutritional status, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were only reported in the obese group in the dominant and non-dominant hand in favor of CC concerning SSC. In conclusion, warm-up with static flexibility led to a decrease in HGS in physically inactive older females. Only the obese group exhibited this result when analyzed by nutritional status.