Lifting Weights--Stunt Growth

[PurpleHaze]

Does lifting weights and working out stunt height. I am fifteen and a late grower. I started lifting weights about a year ago and am now worried about my height because of rumors about my growht meing stunted. Is this rumor true. If so, are there certain exercises or types of exercises that would stunt your growth such as those compressing your spine. Please reply. Thanks.

Chris

[Queso]

hey chris i like your user name

but i can't answer your question.

so are you referring to the hendrix song? or owsleys lsd? or the fascinating exotic species of marijuana?

[GAHD]

Hello there hazy. I havn't heard too much about weightlifiting stunting growth; I lifted fairly heavilly from 15-17ish and I didn't suffer any ill effect, even grew an inch while doing it. If anything I think chinups and other hanging workouts would offset any stunting weightlifting could cause.

[alexander]

Perhaps this is one of these myths that will never die...

 

Weightlifting didn't stunt the growth of Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, David

Robinson, Karl Malone, Sergey Federov, and many other professional athletes who started lifting when they were still teens. Arnold Schwarzenegger started lifting very

young and is now 6'1". Lou Ferrigno started working out at 14 years old at the height of 5' 9" and grew to 6' 5" - he was the tallest in his family! So the answer is no, there is no scientific evidence to support that myth, in fact, books such as the Russian, School of Height, suggest that weight training may infact stimulate growth. The latest weight training studies done on teens showed only positive effects.

 

Also activities such as running and jumping create forces on the body that are six to eight times one's body weight. The compression forces on his legs and spine are far

greater in running and jumping than they will ever be in squatting or pressing over head, yet people arent concerned about growth imparity when they run... So the myth is Busted!

(sources: http://www.trulyhuge.com/news/tips63iq.htm)

[GAHD]

Uuh, I thought arnie was 5'10"?

[alexander]

it's always been up for speculation from what is suggested here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger

[Hawkens]

Lou was 6' 1"? :)

 

I believe the myth came into being because of the appearance of the person from body building or lifting weights. They have more mass which will give the illusion of a shorter height because they will appear "stocky". If you took a shot of Arnold and then took a shot of somebody who was skinny but the exact height as Arnold and the pictures gave no referance of measurement then your mind would most likely assume that the skinny person is taller.

 

It's kinda like this optical illusion.

[alexander]

Ok, the height might be off, wont argue that, but the point still remains the same...

[McGyver]

My understanding in this height issue has been with the role of excessive strenuous activity could play in accellerating the amounts of testosterone and similar male hormones critical during puberty and post pubescent growth. Everyone has a genetic growth clock, and these hormones play a key role in the TERM of the "growth clock." Having coached my son in baseball and observed his friends and team-mates growth through high school, it appeared, and most of us believed there to be a correlation that excessive wight lifting, and subsequent accellerated hormone production, was shortening the growth term. A general observation of a group of about 30-40. I would suggest you research the latest info at medical and sports medicine sites.

[InfiniteNow]

I think many of us would benefit from Racoon's input on this question... What's the deal with age/working out/growth potential/etc?

[Racoon]

I think many of us would benefit from Racoon's input on this question... What's the deal with age/working out/growth potential/etc?

 

Lifting weights isn't good for youngsters, and I would discourage it.

 

You want to wait until the epihyseal plates are fully formed and developed in the bone.

While individual cases vary, its better to err on the side of caution.

 

Better exercises would be simple calistetics and aerobic activity.

Push-ups, pull-ups, running, biking, team sports, and such...

Not weights.

 

Bones continue to grow longitudinally as long as the epipheyseal plates are open. These plates begin to close around adolescence and disapear or close by 18.

Bone growth in diameter, however, continues throughout life, by an internal layer of periosteum building new concentric layers on old layers...

[maikeru]

Yeah, I've heard that weight lifting can affect the development of epiphyseal plates as well. I did do some weightlifting in junior high and high school, but it was required for PE, and we never did it properly. I didn't like it much then but I also had a poor understanding of how to do it properly and how the body responds. It's a wonder I didn't hurt myself. I'm wary of young people doing it, and don't recommend it, unless perhaps they work with very light weights. Calisthenics, sports, dancing, etc. might be better options.

 

However, if you want to continue, I suggest talking to someone like a doctor or getting acquainted with the Mayo Clinic website on their exercise and fitness sections, which have some great articles on weight lifting, benefits and drawbacks.

 

Mayo Clinic medical information and tools for healthy living - MayoClinic.com

 

I started to do some weight lifting regularly a year ago (when I was 23 years old), and I did a lot of reading and putting things together in my mind before I began, so that I could try to do it more safely. If you don't do weight training properly, it's very easy to hurt yourself, and you may not notice if you do hurt yourself (tearing muscles, tendons, or ligaments, or damaging/wearing out joints or creating too much pressure on or in certain parts of the body). The goal of weight training, IMO, should not be to grow big muscles, but rather to promote general health, strength, and well being.

 

Many people do it wrong and promote myths and lies about weight lifting, such as needing to eat a huge amount of protein, do a superhuman number of repetitions, or take super supplements for maximum muscle growth. Good nutrition, sleep, and knowledge, care, and technique will do you better than any of the propaganda. When you stress your body, it is even more important that you take care of it.

 

For my exercise, I have it mostly tipped toward cardiovascular activities, like running for 20-40 minutes every 2-3 days, and ballroom dancing (once a week or more for an hour). Weight training is every 2-3 days, depending on how I feel. (Muscles require at least 48 hours to repair themselves. No less.) Takes 10-15 minutes with a free weight. Important: if anything hurts, I stop doing it.

 

Go for Fit, not Hulk.

[maikeru]

Does lifting weights and working out stunt height. I am fifteen and a late grower. I started lifting weights about a year ago and am now worried about my height because of rumors about my growht meing stunted. Is this rumor true. If so, are there certain exercises or types of exercises that would stunt your growth such as those compressing your spine. Please reply. Thanks.

Chris

 

One more thing is that I would suggest getting a lot of sleep. Growth hormone, which makes you grow taller, is released more at night while you're sleeping. So make sure you get your 8+ hours of sleep, so that your body can heal and grow, grow, grow. Teenagers never get enough sleep it seems. As a man, you won't stop growing until about 20-23 as well, so you still have plenty of time. Might want to keep that in mind. :thumbs_up

[Racoon]

One more thing is that I would suggest getting a lot of sleep. Growth hormone, which makes you grow taller, is released more at night while you're sleeping. So make sure you get your 8+ hours of sleep, so that your body can heal and grow, grow, grow. Teenagers never get enough sleep it seems. As a man, you won't stop growing until about 20-23 as well, so you still have plenty of time. Might want to keep that in mind. :thumbs_up

 

Lifting weights is one of the best things you can do to for yourself to maintain and improve your health and fitness.

 

But just wait until you stop growing. The problem with youngsters lifting weights is as you mentioned: bad form usually with no supervision, awkwardness that accompanies adolescent maturing, greater chance for serious injury, and perhaps stunted growth.

 

Strenuous weight lifting will ellicit additional Growth Hormone release, as well as helping to maintain bone density and strength.

Aging women, who wish to avoid the ravages of osteoporosis are the group most likely to see major health related improvements from weight lifting.

And contrary to popular belief, it won't "bulk them up"...

[maikeru]

Definitely. I remember I noticed the benefits about 2 weeks into weight lifting, with improved mood, better sleep, increased endurance, etc.

 

But yeah, I did choose to wait until my body was more or less as it will be for the rest of my life. If I could do my teenage years over again, I think I would've chosen more running, ballroom dancing, and probably martial arts, as I really enjoy these activities and they would've helped with coordination and fitness.

 

Even these have to be done with care. Running can lead to knee, hip, or back problems. Dancing can lead to ankle and toe problems (for example, my dance teacher has a bad ankle from too many years of dancing for too many hours a day; he's only 30 years old). Martial arts can lead to joint problems if there is too much strain on the elbows, knees, or hips from punching and kicking.

 

I think another problem with youngsters is that they're too eager to get results (i.e., big muscles). They think if they hit the weight room for a few hours, that they'll come out looking like Arnold or Mr. T. They might. But they could also come out with bad backs, torn muscle, hernias, or worse. A lot of those bodybuilders and sports players got there through steroids just as much as any weight lifting. (And they look freakish, IMO.)

 

Women don't have enough testosterone to bulk them up. From what I understand, they should try to use weights to tone. What is a bit worrisome, though, is that if women exercise too much, they can drop their body fat too low. I've heard it can create problems with menstruation or they may start to become a bit more masculine (like growing a bit of facial hair or having their voice change). It seems that some female college and professional athletes suffer from these problems. Fat produces estrogen and other female sex hormones, so too little fat creates a hormone imbalance.

 

Everything has to be done with supervision and care.