OBJECTIVES: Handgrip strength is a widely used indicator of muscle strength and general health, but its association with facial morphology remains unclear. This study examined whether handgrip strength or its asymmetry is related to facial sexual shape dimorphism, perceived masculinity/femininity, and facial asymmetry in two culturally and genetically distinct populations: Cameroonian and Czech adults. METHODS: Geometric morphometric methods were applied to full-face portraits of 226 individuals (balanced by sex, aged 19-59), using 72 facial landmarks and semi-landmarks. Pearson correlations and a series of ANOVA analyses were then used to assess possible associations between facial traits and both absolute and asymmetric grip strength. RESULTS: Across all models and subgroups, associations between handgrip strength and facial morphology were weak and nonsignificant. None of the facial characteristics reliably predicted either handgrip strength or its asymmetry in either men or women. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that facial morphology on its own does not reliably reflect muscular strength. Further research should incorporate longitudinal and cross-cultural designs.

Department of Philosophy and History of Science Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Abe, T. , Ozaki H., Loenneke J. P., Natsume T., Deng P., and Naito H.. 2022. “A Longitudinal Study of Handgrip Strength Asymmetry.” American Journal of Human Biology 34, no. 6: e23722. 10.1002/ajhb.23722. PubMed DOI

Adams, D. C. , and Otárola‐Castillo E.. 2013. “Geomorph: An R Package for the Collection and Analysis of Geometric Morphometric Shape Data.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution 4, no. 4: 393–399. 10.1111/2041-210X.12035. DOI

Al Snih, S. , Markides K. S., Ray L., Ostir G. V., and Goodwin J. S.. 2002. “Handgrip Strength and Mortality in Older Mexican Americans.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 50, no. 7: 1250–1256. 10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50312.x. PubMed DOI

Aydık, F. , Ertuğrul B., Windhager S., and Özener B.. 2024. “Associations of Facial Shape With Physical Strength and 2D:4D in a Turkish Male and Female Sample.” American Journal of Human Biology 36, no. 11: e24155. 10.1002/ajhb.24155. PubMed DOI

Bohannon, R. W. 2019. “Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults.” Clinical Interventions in Aging 14: 1681–1691. 10.2147/CIA.S194543. PubMed DOI PMC

Butovskaya, M. L. , Mezentseva A., Mabulla A., et al. 2022. “Facial Cues to Physical Strength Increase Attractiveness but Decrease Aggressiveness Assessments in Male Maasai of Northern Tanzania.” Evolution and Human Behavior 43, no. 2: 115–121. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.006. DOI

Butovskaya, M. L. , Rostovstseva V. V., Mezentseva A. A., et al. 2024. “Cross‐Cultural Perception of Strength, Attractiveness, Aggressiveness and Helpfulness of Maasai Male Faces Calibrated to Handgrip Strength.” Scientific Reports 14, no. 1: 5880. 10.1038/s41598-024-56607-z. PubMed DOI PMC

Butovskaya, M. L. , Windhager S., Karelin D., Mezentseva A., Schaefer K., and Fink B.. 2018. “Associations of Physical Strength With Facial Shape in an African Pastoralist Society, the Maasai of Northern Tanzania.” PLoS One 13, no. 5: e0197738. 10.1371/journal.pone.0197738. PubMed DOI PMC

Duchowny, K. 2019. “Do Nationally Representative Cutpoints for Clinical Muscle Weakness Predict Mortality? Results From 9 Years of Follow‐Up in the Health and Retirement Study.” Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 74, no. 7: 1070–1075. 10.1093/gerona/gly169. PubMed DOI PMC

Fink, B. , Grammer K., Mitteroecker P., et al. 2005. “Second to Fourth Digit Ratio and Face Shape.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 272, no. 1576: 1995–2001. 10.1098/rspb.2005.3179. PubMed DOI PMC

Fried, L. P. , Tangen C. M., Walston J., et al. 2001. “Frailty in Older Adults: Evidence for a Phenotype.” Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 56, no. 3: M146–M157. 10.1093/gerona/56.3.M146. PubMed DOI

Gallup, A. C. , and Fink B.. 2018. “Handgrip Strength as a Darwinian Fitness Indicator in Men.” Frontiers in Psychology 9: 439. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00439. PubMed DOI PMC

Gallup, A. C. , O'Brien D. T., White D. D., and Wilson D. S.. 2010. “Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents.” Evolutionary Psychology 8, no. 2: 207. 10.1177/147470491000800207. PubMed DOI PMC

Gallup, A. C. , White D. D., and Gallup G. G.. 2007. “Handgrip Strength Predicts Sexual Behavior, Body Morphology, and Aggression in Male College Students.” Evolution and Human Behavior 28, no. 6: 423–429. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.07.001. DOI

Hahn, A. C. , Holzleitner I. J., Lee A. J., et al. 2019. “Facial Masculinity is Only Weakly Correlated With Handgrip Strength in Young Adult Women.” American Journal of Human Biology 31, no. 1: e23203. 10.1002/ajhb.23203. PubMed DOI

Holzleitner, I. J. , and Perrett D. I.. 2016. “Perception of Strength From 3D Faces is Linked to Facial Cues of Physique.” Evolution and Human Behavior 37, no. 3: 217–229. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.11.004. DOI

Jones, B. C. , Hahn A. C., Fisher C. I., et al. 2018. “No Compelling Evidence That Preferences for Facial Masculinity Track Changes in Women's Hormonal Status.” Psychological Science 29, no. 6: 996–1005. 10.1177/0956797618760197. PubMed DOI PMC

Klawitter, L. , Vincent B. M., Choi B.‐J., et al. 2022. “Handgrip Strength Asymmetry and Weakness Are Associated With Future Morbidity Accumulation in Americans.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36, no. 1: 106–112. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004166. PubMed DOI

Kleisner, K. 2021. “Morphological Uniqueness: The Concept and Its Relationship to Indicators of Biological Quality of Human Faces From Equatorial Africa.” Symmetry 13, no. 12: 12. 10.3390/sym13122408. DOI

Kleisner, K. , Tureček P., Roberts S. C., et al. 2021. “How and Why Patterns of Sexual Dimorphism in Human Faces Vary Across the World.” Scientific Reports 11, no. 1: 5978. 10.1038/s41598-021-85402-3. PubMed DOI PMC

Kleisner, K. , Tureček P., Saribay S. A., et al. 2024. “Distinctiveness and Femininity, Rather Than Symmetry and Masculinity, Affect Facial Attractiveness Across the World.” Evolution and Human Behavior 45, no. 1: 82–90. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2023.10.001. DOI

Klimek, M. , Marcinkowska U. M., Galbarczyk A., Nenko I., and Jasienska G.. 2023. “The Age at First Reproduction as a Potential Mediator Between Facial Fluctuating Asymmetry and Reproductive Success in Women.” American Journal of Biological Anthropology 181, no. 2: 166–172. 10.1002/ajpa.24746. PubMed DOI

Koehler, N. , Simmons L. W., Rhodes G., and Peters M.. 2004. “The Relationship Between Sexual Dimorphism in Human Faces and Fluctuating Asymmetry.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences 271: S233–S236. 10.1098/rsbl.2003.0146. PubMed DOI PMC

Leong, D. P. , Teo K. K., Rangarajan S., et al. 2015. “Prognostic Value of Grip Strength: Findings From the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study.” Lancet 386, no. 9990: 266–273. 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6. PubMed DOI

Li, N. , Zhou R., and Zhang B.. 2022. “Handgrip Strength and the Risk of Major Depressive Disorder: A Two‐Sample Mendelian Randomisation Study.” General Psychiatry 35, no. 5: e100807. 10.1136/gpsych-2022-100807. PubMed DOI PMC

Lidborg, L. H. , Cross C. P., and Boothroyd L. G.. 2022. “A Meta‐Analysis of the Association Between Male Dimorphism and Fitness Outcomes in Humans.” eLife 11: e65031. 10.7554/eLife.65031. PubMed DOI PMC

Lu, Z. L. , Wang T. R., Qiao Y. Q., et al. 2016. “Handgrip Strength Index Predicts Nutritional Status as a Complement to Body Mass Index in Crohn's Disease.” Journal of Crohn's and Colitis 10, no. 12: 1395–1400. 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjw121. PubMed DOI

Mahoney, S. J. , Hackney K. J., Jurivich D. A., Dahl L. J., Johnson C., and McGrath R.. 2022. “Handgrip Strength Asymmetry Is Associated With Limitations in Individual Basic Self‐Care Tasks.” Journal of Applied Gerontology 41, no. 2: 450–454. 10.1177/0733464820982409. PubMed DOI

Mardia, K. , Bookstein F., and Moreton I.. 2000. “Statistical Assessment of Bilateral Symmetry of Shapes.” Biometrika 87, no. 2: 285–300. 10.1093/biomet/87.2.285. DOI

McGrath, R. P. , Kraemer W. J., Snih S. A., and Peterson M. D.. 2018. “Handgrip Strength and Health in Aging Adults.” Sports Medicine 48, no. 9: 1993–2000. 10.1007/s40279-018-0952-y. PubMed DOI

Mogilski, J. K. , and Welling L. L. M.. 2017. “The Relative Importance of Sexual Dimorphism, Fluctuating Asymmetry, and Color Cues to Health During Evaluation of Potential Partners' Facial Photographs.” Human Nature 28, no. 1: 53–75. 10.1007/s12110-016-9277-4. PubMed DOI

Özener, B. E. , and Aydik M. F.. 2023. “Hand Grip Strength as a Marker of Physical Fitness and Its Association to Body Symmetry in Young Adults: An Anthropological Approach.” Current Research in Social Sciences 9, no. 1: 58–68. 10.30613/curesosc.1195115. DOI

Peng, T.‐C. , Chiou J.‐M., Chen Y.‐C., and Chen J.‐H.. 2024. “Handgrip Strength Asymmetry and Cognitive Impairment Risk: Insights From a Seven‐Year Prospective Cohort Study.” Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging 28, no. 1: 100004. 10.1016/j.jnha.2023.100004. PubMed DOI

Ramírez‐Vélez, R. , Rincón‐Pabón D., Correa‐Bautista J. E., García‐Hermoso A., and Izquierdo M.. 2021. “Handgrip Strength: Normative Reference Values in Males and Females Aged 6–64 Years Old in a Colombian Population.” Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 44: 379–386. 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.05.009. PubMed DOI

Rhodes, G. 2006. “The Evolutionary Psychology of Facial Beauty.” Annual Review of Psychology 57: 199–226. 10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190208. PubMed DOI

Scott, I. , Clark A., Josephson S., et al. 2014. “Human Preferences for Sexually Dimorphic Faces May Be Evolutionarily Novel.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111, no. 40: 14388–14393. 10.1073/pnas.1409643111. PubMed DOI PMC

Syddall, H. , Cooper C., Martin F., Briggs R., and Aihie Sayer A.. 2003. “Is Grip Strength a Useful Single Marker of Frailty?” Age and Ageing 32, no. 6: 650–656. 10.1093/ageing/afg111. PubMed DOI

Tsekoura, M. , Bakirtzi S., Papadimitropoulou S., et al. 2023. “Relationship of Ηand Grip Strength, Physical Activity, and Anthropometric Characteristics in a Sample of Male and Female Physiotherapy Students.” In GeNeDis 2022, edited by Vlamos P., 491–500. Springer International Publishing. 10.1007/978-3-031-31986-0_48. PubMed DOI

Van Dongen, S. 2014. “Associations Among Facial Masculinity, Physical Strength, Fluctuating Asymmetry and Attractiveness in Young Men and Women.” Annals of Human Biology 41, no. 3: 205–213. 10.3109/03014460.2013.847120. PubMed DOI

Van Dongen, S. , and Gangestad S. W.. 2011. “Human Fluctuating Asymmetry in Relation to Health and Quality: A Meta‐Analysis.” Evolution and Human Behavior 32, no. 6: 380–398. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2011.03.002. DOI

Windhager, S. , Ottendorfer T., Mabulla A., Butovskaya M., Fink B., and Schaefer K.. 2023. “Perception of Strength, Attractiveness and Aggressiveness of Maasai Male Faces Calibrated to Handgrip Strength: Evidence From a European Sample.” American Journal of Human Biology 35, no. 6: e23869. 10.1002/ajhb.23869. PubMed DOI PMC

Windhager, S. , Schaefer K., and Fink B.. 2011. “Geometric Morphometrics of Male Facial Shape in Relation to Physical Strength and Perceived Attractiveness, Dominance, and Masculinity.” American Journal of Human Biology 23, no. 6: 805–814. 10.1002/ajhb.21219. PubMed DOI

Xue, Q.‐L. 2011. “The Frailty Syndrome: Definition and Natural History.” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 27, no. 1: 1–15. 10.1016/j.cger.2010.08.009. PubMed DOI PMC