Background: Hand grip strength is considered a reliable indicator of overall muscle strength and function, and it has been associated with various health outcomes in both adolescents and adults. Inadequate nutrient intake during adolescence can have significant implications for growth, development, and overall health. The present study aims to determine the association between dietary nutrient intake, physical activity, handgrip strength and body composition among adolescent Indian children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 120 subjects (60 boys and 60 girls) aged 10-15 years chosen purposively from private schools in Delhi. A socio-demographic questionnaire was used to know the general profile of the subjects. Anthropometric measurements of weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference were measured using a digital weighing machine, stadiometer and seca tape respectively. Muscle strength and muscle mass were measured using a hand grip dynamometer and Tanita body composition analyzer respectively. Dietary data was obtained using a day 24-hour recall along with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

Results: This study found that 67.5% of subjects were normal weight while 32.4% of subjects were overweight or obese. Among these, 47.5% of subjects were vegetarian while 11.6% and 40.83% were eggetarian and non-vegetarian respectively. Among all the subjects, 23.3% of boys and 43.3% of girls had low muscle strength. Anthropometric measurements including increased weight and decreased muscle mass were significantly associated with low muscle strength among boys and girls. Energy (r= 0.375; P=0.01), protein (r= 0.469; P=0.01), iron (r= 0.386; P=0.01) magnesium (r= 0.435; P=0.01) and selenium (r= 0.212; P=0.05) were also significantly associated with muscle strength.

Conclusion: Muscle strength was positively correlated with major macronutrients i.e., energy and protein intake and micronutrients mainly iron, magnesium and selenium which are responsible for influencing and achieving optimal muscle mass and strength among adolescents. Hence, these results may help to understand the factors contributing to achieving optimal muscle strength in adolescents who may benefit from nutritional interventions, thereby preventing or reducing age-associated muscle impairments and their detrimental consequences in the later part of their lives.