Lateral Dominance In Strength And Stability Among Higher Education Students

Abstract

Lateral dominance influences motor performance in various physical tasks, with the dominant side typically demonstrating superior strength capabilities. This study investigated differences between dominant and non-dominant sides in handgrip strength and single leg stability among first-year university students to understand how lateral dominance manifests across different motor control systems. Twenty-nine healthy higher education students (15 male and 14 female; height 172.6±8.8 cm; weight 69.2±9.6 kg; age 20.5±1.9 years) were recruited from a first-year physiotherapy university class. All subjects were right leg and hand dominant. Students underwent handgrip strength testing and single leg stability assessments for both dominant and non-dominant sides. Handgrip strength measured maximum force production, while single leg tests measured sway path length and oscillation area during 10 seconds of single leg standing. Paired t-test analysis compared dominant and non-dominant sides with significance set at p<0.05. Dominant handgrip force production was significantly higher compared to non-dominant (40.5±10.6 kg vs 39.0±10.3 kg; p=0.019), but no differences were measured between sides for single leg stability. Sway path length was similar between dominant and non-dominant sides (32.4±9.8 cm vs 31.8±14.5 cm; p=0.808), as was oscillation area (22.4±16.6 cm² vs 16.7±19.4 cm²; p=0.160). The findings demonstrate that lateral dominance significantly affects handgrip strength but not single leg stability in young university students. These results suggest that dominance patterns may be task-specific and that training programs should consider bilateral development for balance while addressing potential asymmetries in strength.