1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today's session, 2 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: I am going to try to convince you to update 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: your present list for Santa and stick a hand grip. 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: Dynamometer on there. 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: Now, you will have heard me talk before about strength 6 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: training and muscle mass is critical to aging well. But 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: today I want to talk about a really fascinating study 8 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: that's just been published that really brings this point home 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: and gives us a tool that is so simple, so cheap, 10 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: and so powerful that it really should be in every 11 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: gpage toolkit. Every time you go to the doctor, they 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: should be measuring this, just like they measure your blood pressure. 13 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: So the research paper in question has just been published 14 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: in the American Journal of Preventative Cardiology and the title 15 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: of the paper is Grip Strength to Weight Ratio all 16 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: Cause and Cardiovascular mortality and Cardiovascular disease prevent Prevalence evidence 17 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: from n Ham's and Charles. So what they did in 18 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: this study was they looked at something called grip strength 19 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: to weight ratio or GSWRS I will refer to it. 20 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: And obviously it's a relationship with all cause mortality, cardiovascular death, 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Now, we've known for 22 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: a while that grip strength is a useful biomarker, and 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: I've talked about this before. It's been linked to everything 24 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: from frailty prediction and falls, to heart disease, depression, and 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: even a very strong linked to dementia. But absolute grip strength, 26 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: like many things in health, isn't the full story. Because 27 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: bigger people tend to have higher grip strength, but does 28 00:01:58,560 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: that mean that they're healthier? 29 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 2: Will not always. 30 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: And what the researchers did in this study, which I loved, 31 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: was they normalized grip strength to body weight to get 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: a more individualized, more meaningful metric which they call GSWR 33 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: grip strength to weight ratio, and that is basically how 34 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: strong you are for your size, and that is a 35 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: much better predictive value for an individual on an individual basis. 36 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: So let's dive into the study. And what they did 37 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: was they analyzed data from these two massive nationally representative 38 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: cohorts and the US Enhange Study and the Chinese Charles Study, 39 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: And between the two, we're talking over twenty thousand individuals 40 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 1: that were followed for seven or eight years, and that's 41 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: a pretty strong data set and Obviously they were older 42 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: individuals because they were looking at things like cardiovascular these 43 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: and all cause mortality. Now, strength was measured with a 44 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: hand gripped dynamometer and you can actually buy them, and 45 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: we bought one in our house about a year ago 46 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: and a bit where we're using it. 47 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 2: You can buy one in. 48 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: Australia on Amazon for twenty nine Australian dollars. In the 49 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: States have checked it up, you can buy one for 50 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: nineteen US dollars and in the United Kingdom that come 51 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: as cheap as seventeen quid. Right, And here's how to 52 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: replicate what they did in the study. You get this dynamometer, 53 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: which is basically something that you squeeze and it measures 54 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: your force that you produce. 55 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: Typically in kilos. 56 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: And what you do is you stand upright and firmly 57 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: grasping the dynamometer with your elbow flex at ninety degrees, 58 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: so your kind of forearms sticking out from your body, 59 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: and then you squeeze the dynamometer as hard as you 60 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: possibly can for three to five seconds. And what it 61 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: will do is will record the max force that you 62 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: can produce, and typically it gives it in kilos. I'm 63 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: not sure if the US ones do it in pounds. 64 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: If it's pounds, then you just use that because it's normalized. 65 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: And what you do is you do it twice for 66 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: each hand, rest for thirty seconds in between, or you 67 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: could probably just go to the other hand and then 68 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: back and you get two two values reach one and 69 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: you pick the best of each hand. So you pick 70 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: the best for your right and the best for your left. 71 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: And then you add them up. 72 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: So say you were to get ninety kilos from your 73 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: left and eighty five for your right hand, you'd add 74 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: them up and that's one hundred and seventy five kilos, 75 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: and then you divide that by your body weight. Now 76 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: again in the United States, if it's measuring it in pounds, 77 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: that's fine. You just add up the total pounds in 78 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,679 Speaker 1: this case would be about one hundred and eighty hundred 79 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: and ninety ish on each hand. You add that up 80 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: and then you divide it by your body weight, and 81 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: again your bodyweight. 82 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 2: Will be in kilos. 83 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: Or if you're doing the American one and they give 84 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: you the dynamoma in pounds, then you use your body 85 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: weighing pounds. 86 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: Now let's get. 87 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: Back to the study and what they did was they 88 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: tracked deaths all cause mortality, deaths from anything, and death 89 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: from cardiovascular disease, and they also assessed cardiovascular disease prevalence 90 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: using medical history. They used interviews in national mortality records, 91 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: and then they adjusted for all the usual suspects. So 92 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: this is important because these were adjusted for things such 93 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: as your age, your sex, your body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, 94 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: blood lipids, socioeconomic statius. 95 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: They did that lot and. 96 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: The results were seriously compelling compared to people. And what 97 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: they did is they separated them into quartiles, so the 98 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: lowest twenty five percent, then the low medium, the high medium, 99 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: and then the highest twenty five percent. Compared to people 100 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: in the lowest quartile, so the lowest twenty five percent 101 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: of the weakest twenty five percent. Those in the highest 102 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: quartile had a seventy three percent lower risk of dying 103 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: from any cause in the US cohort and a forty 104 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: seven percent lower risk of dying in the Chinese cohort, 105 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: and cardiovascular deaths were also dramatically lower in the US cohort. 106 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: The strongest twenty five percent had a seventy nine percent 107 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: risk reduction for cardiovascular deaths, right, and that is pretty bunkers. 108 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 2: So I'll give you the cutoffs. 109 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: Let's just look at the end he hits cohort, So 110 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:44,799 Speaker 1: the lowest quartile. 111 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: Q one, when you do then hazard ratios for mortality. 112 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: And the Q two so twenty five to fifty percent 113 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: in terms of strength, so low the medium. Their hazard 114 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: ratio compared to Q one was not zero point four 115 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: to seven, so they had a fifty three percent reduced 116 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: all cause mortality than weaker So just going from the 117 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: weakest to the second weakest group reduced your risk of 118 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: all cause mortality by whopping fifty three percent, Like that 119 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: is bunkers. And Q three, which are those people sort 120 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: of fifty to seventy five percent, so they're above average. 121 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: Their hazard ratio was zero point three nine, so basically 122 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: they're sixty one percent less likely to die of anything 123 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: than the weakest group. And as I said, Q four 124 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: their hazard ratio was zero point twenty seven, so they 125 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: had a seventy three percent lower risk of all cause 126 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: mortality compared to the weakest groups. And that this is 127 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: just completely and ulterly bunkers in terms of the impact. 128 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: And when we look at the China study, and there 129 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: the Q four the strongest group. Their hazard ratio was 130 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: zero point five, so they are are forty seven percent 131 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: lower risk of death and everything. Why the difference in 132 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: the Canadian A sorry, in the Chinese versus the US, 133 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: Probably because the US population on the whole are on 134 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: the healthier because that they got a higher risk of 135 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: dying and therefore and that strength was more protective. But 136 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: just taking these things together and this is really impactful 137 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: and importantly, the researchers observed a classic L shape relationship, 138 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: meaning the biggest benefits come from getting out of the 139 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: lowest twenty five percent. 140 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: In other words, you don't need. 141 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: To be a gym bunny, you just got to be 142 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: stronger than the weakest twenty five percent. Personally, I think 143 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 1: this is huge implications for our exercise guidelines. So if 144 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: you take the data from Australia, the most recent data 145 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: showed that only twenty percent of Australian adults hit the 146 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: recommended guidelines for physical activity when it comes to strength training, 147 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: particularly in. 148 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: Older age groups. 149 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,239 Speaker 1: Right, so only one in five are doing the recommended 150 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: two strength training sessions a week. About sixty percent actually 151 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: hit the baseline of one hundred and fifty minutes of 152 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 1: moderate physical activity a week, you know, so there's reasonable 153 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: amount who do that, but only one in five or 154 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: twenty percent actually do the strength training stuff. And this 155 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,319 Speaker 1: should be a massive, massive wake up call. I mean, 156 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: here's the thing. If you have a job that involves 157 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: manual labor, you know, your grip strength is probably fine, 158 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: in fact, it's probably very good. But if you do 159 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: an office job and you're not in the gym lifting 160 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: heavy shit, the chances are that you are in one 161 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: of those lower two quartiles, and it's more important that 162 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: you do strength training. That is really important call to 163 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: action here for this, So I'm a big fan. Just 164 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 1: get a basic grip dynamometer online. As I said, it's 165 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: going to cost you twenty to thirty bucks depending on 166 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: where you are. Measure your grip from each hand, add 167 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: them together and then divide that by your body weight. Right, 168 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 1: So again it will give you your grip strength and kilos. 169 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: So you divide it in kilos and that is your GSWR. 170 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: So I'm having sure my value. 171 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: So my right hand was buying on fifty kilos, my 172 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: left hand was forty six point nine kilos, so that 173 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: gives me a combined force in the two hands of 174 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: ninety six point nine kilos divided by my body weight, 175 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: which is eighty gives me a GSWR of one point 176 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: two to one. So if you're doing any type of 177 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: strength training at all, you're likely to be above one 178 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: in terms of that cutoff. And in in our house, 179 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: everybody is above the cutoff for Q four. So Q 180 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: four is not zero point nine two or above right 181 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: ninety two percent of your body weight combined hands, you 182 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: are in the top quartile and are very very protective. Unfortunately, 183 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: the research paper didn't give us all of those cutoffs, 184 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 1: but I went in and looked at it and approximated it. 185 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 2: So they do these curves. 186 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: If you read the research paper, you can kind of 187 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: work it out from the graphs. So what I've worked 188 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: out is is the Q four, which they did say 189 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: that was above zero point nine two Q three is 190 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: not point eighty eight to not point nine. 191 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 2: Two Q two. 192 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: So this is where you're starting to get a little 193 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: bit into trouble. That was not point eight three to 194 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: not point eighty eight. And in Q one, the weakest group, 195 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,839 Speaker 1: we're not point eight three. So if your combined force 196 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: from their left in your right hand is less than 197 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: zero point eight three. I would suggest that the most 198 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: important thing you need to do for your healthy get 199 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 1: yourself into the gym and start lifting heavy shit. Now 200 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: that's the data from the En Haynes quote. That's the 201 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,599 Speaker 1: American one. I didn't actually do the data for the 202 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: Chinese one, but I think that's that's probably good enough 203 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: for everybody as a target to go. And this metric 204 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,680 Speaker 1: is so powerful and so predictive and so easy to 205 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: measure that I think that it should be in every 206 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: single doctor surgery and they should do this in routine checkups. 207 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: I mean, you come in, they'll do your blood pressure, 208 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: some of them do your weight, and let's do your 209 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: comparison here, right, So blood pressure, Yes, we know that 210 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,959 Speaker 1: elevator blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart disease, 211 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: but on its own, it's actually quite a poor predictor 212 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: of all cause mortality, and it can be quite variable. 213 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: Then fasting glucose or even he HbA one C. They 214 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: are strong predictors of diabetes risk, but again, many people 215 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: live in a gray zone for years, and they're not 216 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: actually very strong predictors of all cause mortality, and certainly 217 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: not as strong as this script. Strength LDL cholesterol with 218 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: many are obsessed with, has been associated with cardiovascular risk, 219 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: but half the people who have a heart attack have 220 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 1: normal LDL. And it's a really shit house predictor of 221 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: all cause mortality, particularly in older adults and in body 222 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 1: mass index, which you know we've been obsessed with for decades. 223 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: Don't even get me started on that shit. It is 224 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: such a blunt tool and such a poor predictor of cardiovascars, 225 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: the's mortality and all cause mortality. Now, compare that to 226 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 1: grip strength. So we talked about it in this paper, 227 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: but I'm going to give you some other evidence, right, 228 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: so this is not just a one off. A twenty 229 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: eighteen study in a British medical journal found that grip 230 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: strength was a better predictor of all cause mortality than 231 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: systolic blood pressure. Another study in the Lancet called the 232 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: Pure Study showed that grip strength was a strong predictor 233 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: of cardiovascular mortality than blood pressure or even physical activity. 234 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: So why isn't it standard in every clinic? I guess 235 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: that's the question. But strength training is clear that it matters, 236 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: and it matters more than we used to think. Now, 237 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: if your GSWR isn't where you want it to be. 238 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: Don't panic, but you do need to act. And it's 239 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: not about just hanging off a bar to improve your 240 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: grip strength. Really, grip strength is a proxy for engaging 241 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: in strength training. People who have high grip strength either 242 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: have done lots of strength training or they do lots 243 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: of physical labor, so they're using their muscles. And there 244 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: is a mountain of data that supports the idea that 245 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: good muscle strength is a really good predictor of not 246 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: just how long you're going to live, but also quality 247 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: of life as well. I've written extensively about this in 248 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: my latest book, The Hardiness Effect, and I've also talked 249 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: about it on a couple of different podcasts. But what 250 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: we know, for instance, a twenty seventeen study in the 251 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: Journals of Gerontology so that muscle strength is a stronger 252 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: predictor of longevity than muscle mass. So it's not about 253 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: big muscles, it's about how strong they are. And then 254 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: another meta analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive 255 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: Cardiology in twenty twenty two found that people with higher 256 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: muscle strength out of thirty one percent lower risk of 257 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: all cause mortality compared to those. 258 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 2: With the lowest levels. 259 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,359 Speaker 1: Right now, in this study it was it was significantly 260 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: bigger than that. But when you see more and more evidence, 261 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: are different papers with results that are in a similar direction, 262 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: then we start to say, hey, this evidence is really 263 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: really strong and strength training. The benefits of strength training 264 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: are more pronounced in older adults. That leads to better 265 00:15:54,640 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: functional mobility, fewer falls, less realty, better glucose control, low inflammation, 266 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: and of course better grip strength. So the big take 267 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: up here is buy a hand grip dynamometer. They are 268 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: very cheap, you can get them on Amazon. Measure your 269 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: grip strength and calculate your GSWR. Then compare it to 270 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: the data that I talked about earlier on If you're 271 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: in the lowest quarter earlier that you're even Q two, 272 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: commit to change and start strength training twice a week. 273 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: We've shown that adults who engage in strength training twice 274 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: a week significantly improve their strength, particularly older adults. In 275 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: a world where we have warribles that track everything and 276 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: give us all of these different fancy diagnostics, sometimes the 277 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: simplest tools are the most powerful. So grab a grip 278 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: strength meter, pick up some weights and take control of 279 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: a metric that might just save your life or it 280 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: certainly will extend it and improve the quality of your life. 281 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: That's it for this week, folks, Catch you next time.