Clinical importance of simple muscular fitness tests to predict long-term health conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 94 cohort studies

British Journal of Sports Medicine 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Nuria Marín‐Jiménez, Bruno Bizzozero‐Peroni, Pablo Molina-Garcí, Francisco B Ortega, Jean‐Philippe Chaput, Kai Zhang, Justin J. Lang, Ryan McGrath, Grant R. Tomkinson, Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno, Magdalena Cuenca-García, José Castro‐Piñero
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-109173
Cited by: 7
References: 187

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive validity of field-based muscular strength tests in relation to incident long-term health conditions among adults. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, CINAHL, Epistemonikos and Google Scholar. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Cohort studies examining the predictive value of validated and/or reliable field-based muscular strength tests in relation to long-term health conditions in adults aged ≥18 years. RESULTS: A total of 155 studies were included with 94 included in the meta-analysis. Adults with the highest (vs lowest) handgrip strength levels had a lower risk of multiple long-term health conditions (all p

Fields of Study & Subjects

Nutrition and Health in Aging Body Composition Measurement Techniques Physical Activity and Health

Publication details

Journal / source
British Journal of Sports Medicine
Publisher
BMJ
Volume
60
Issue
6
Pages
465–483
Publication date
10 February 2026
Language
EN