• Anna Maria Sacco, Giuliana Valerio, Paola Alicante, Ada Di Gregorio, Rocco Spera, Giada Ballarin, and Luca Scalfi.
• Department of Public Health, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: annamaria.sacco@unina.it.
• Nutrition. 2021 Nov 1; 91-92: 111445.

ObjectivesMusculoskeletal fitness and body composition are major components of health-related physical fitness that are expected to be linked to each other. The aim of this study was to explore the association of musculoskeletal fitness (expressed as hand grip strength [HGS]) and raw bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) variables and other predictors in the second and third decades of life.MethodsFour groups of healthy normal-weight and overweight participants were studied: 130 male adolescents (age 16.0 ± 1.1 y), 143 female adolescents (16.0 ± 0.9 y), 141 young men (25.5 ± 2.0 y), and 141 young women (25.2 ± 1.9 y). Raw BIA variables (impedance [Z] and phase angle [PhA]) for the whole body were measured at four frequencies (5, 50, 100, and 250 kHz), and HGS was measured in both upper limbs.ResultsHGS was higher in males than females and higher in young men than male adolescents. A fairly strong correlation emerged in both genders between HGS and raw BIA variables-that is, bioimpedance index (height2/Z), PhA, and impedance ratios (Z at high frequency/Z at low frequency). In multiple regression analysis, bioimpedance index, PhA, and impedance ratio were more effective predictors of HGS than BIA-derived estimates of body composition or anthropometric variables such as height, weight, and body mass index. In both genders, HGS was significantly higher in young adults than in adolescents for the same PhA or impedance ratio.ConclusionsThis study provides some insight into the use of raw BIA variables and HGS in the first decades of life, suggesting a new approach for a reliable assessment of muscle quality in terms of both muscle structure and strength.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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