Can lifting stunt your growth?

[betitom]

I was wondering if heavy lifting can stunt your growth? I asked a friend if it can and he said no, I think it can though. I'm talking about doing heavy squats, dead lifts etc. Those heavy back exercises that are hard on the back and spine. Can they stunt your growth? Thanks.

[HALON]

Any form of lifitng can stunt your growth, if down in the wrong way or inproperly. When I was 10, one of my friends from school started to lift weights he kept doing this over a few years, he never had a growth spurt, his brothers are over 6 foot, but him he is like 5'2. When you are very young heavy lifitng isnt everything, so many other things you can do to strengthen, best is callisthenics. Your 20, u sure you havent reached your maximum height.?

[Ethan Carr]

No. I've been lifting since I was a Freshman(9th) in high school, now a senior(12th). When I was a freshman I was around 5'11'', and I have been lifting hardcore every since and I am now 6'4''. And I've also learned about how it doesn't stunt your growth in Human Anatomy 1-2. Just a myth.

Unless you start really young.. like 6-10 probably shouldn't be lifting weights, just push ups etc.. if they can even do them.

I will find a link to support this.

[betitom]

I just ask because I'm not sure what age we stop growing. Not sure if it was 21 or 25 you reach your maximum height. Or at 18. I wanted to get back into weight training but didn't want to stunt my growth doing squats or dead lifts because I never used to do those.

[Ethan Carr]

I'm pretty sure you stop growing at age 21.

[Senor Awesome]

I'm pretty sure you stop growing at age 18.

Not true. I was 6'1 at 17. 6'2 at 18 and probably about 6'3 and half inch at 19. I think I'll probably be 6'4 or 6'5 by the time I'm 21.

[j_neatherlin]

I'm pretty sure you stop growing at age 18.

usually around 22

[E Thug]

Lifting CAN stunt your growth if down improperly. The growth plates are very fragile.

[Ethan Carr]

Not true. I was 6'1 at 17. 6'2 at 18 and probably about 6'3 and half inch at 19. I think I'll probably be 6'4 or 6'5 by the time I'm 21.

Okay, yes it is 21. The process of growing stops at the age of 21, when you brain is finally completed.

But the question is "Will weight lifting stunt your growth."

Here is the link: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=208097

But I copied and pasted in case you don't like to click links.


First off:

What Is a Growth Plate?
The growth plate, also known as the epiphyseal plate or physis, is the area of growing tissue near the end of the long bones in children and adolescents. Each long bone has at least two growth plates: one at each end. The growth plate determines the future length and shape of the mature bone. When growth is complete--sometime during ages of 18-21--the growth plates close and are replaced by solid bone.

Weight lifting to a certain extense of weight (depending on age) can off-set your growth plates and will make them prematurely fuse together causing you to be un able to grow any further. The reason behind this is, when your growth plates have not fused, they are very "slippery", if you use a very heavy weight, for instance you are 13 years old using 200 lbs on a bench press, your growth plates can slip into place and fuse together sooner than they should, if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage and interfere with proper growth of the involved limb. Therefore stunting your growth.

[j_neatherlin]

Lifting CAN stunt your growth if down improperly. The growth plates are very fragile.

source?

[_daemon_]

for my case it didnt
i still grew taller even though i lifted around 110kg @ squat and 130kg @ deadlift

[Addicted_1990]

Shaquille O'Neal, David
Robinson, Karl Malone, Michael Vick all started in their early teens, and all have gone on to be well over 6' tall and play professional sports.

Dave Draper and Arnold Schwarzenegger started lifting very
young and both are 6'1" or taller. Lou Ferrigno started
working out at 14 years old at the height of 5' 9" and grew to
6' 5 taller then anyone in his family!

etc

It's a myth. No weight lifting will stunt your growth.

QUOTE- "I'd also point out that 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.

Not only will proper weight training not stunt growth, it allows
teens to grow up with stronger muscles and bones, along with a
healthy lifestyle. It certainly benefits any other sport they
engage in.

Even though proper weight training protocols will not inhibit
growth, the risk for such occurrences and injuries are just like
anything else. If you have proper instruction and a
well-organized program,,your chances are very low.

"


The myth probably originated from the fact that if a person gains muscle and gets wider to the eye they look like they have lost height, if a guy puts on mass all over, despite being the same height to the eye he may seem smaller as he is squarer than before, compared to being more rectangular previously..

[Leenad]

No unless you do some retarded ****
/thread

[Zakira]

Growing up I only knew of two guys that lifted and were buff around the age of 11 to 13ish. They both ended up short, like no more than 5'5" short. Coincidence?

[E Thug]

source?

"The Epiphyseal plate (growth plate) is prone to fractures in children because it is not yet ossified and is weaker than bone."

"The majority of Epipyseal plate fracture cases involve overhead lifts, such as the overhead press and jerk, with near maximal resistances."

"The fracturing of these plates can lead to stunted growth."

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 56-A (688-703) R. Bright, A. Burnstein, and S. Elmore

[j_neatherlin]

"The Epiphyseal plate (growth plate) is prone to fractures in children because it is not yet ossified and is weaker than bone."

"The majority of Epipyseal plate fracture cases involve overhead lifts, such as the overhead press and jerk, with near maximal resistances."

"The fracturing of these plates can lead to stunted growth."

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 56-A (688-703) R. Bright, A. Burnstein, and S. Elmore

so only through injury when lifting with near maximal resistances in overhead lifts?

edit: personally, i wouldn't say that makes the epiphyseal plates "very fragile," but okay. and this says that it can if the epiphyseal plates are fractured...what % of these fractures cause stunted growth and which types of fractures? there are several types of fractures that can involve the epiphyseal plate (salter harris classifications)

[E Thug]

so only through injury when lifting with near maximal resistances in overhead lifts?

edit: personally, i wouldn't say that makes the epiphyseal plates "very fragile," but okay. and this says that it can if the epiphyseal plates are fractured...what % of these fractures cause stunted growth and which types of fractures? there are several types of fractures that can involve the epiphyseal plate (salter harris classifications)

I was simply making a point that it is possible to stunt your growth when weightlifting and by stating that this idea is simply a myth is false.

The epiphyseal plates are fragile because they are cartilaginous and can be damaged.

And yes, it is rare to have an injury serious enough to significantly affect your height, but it still is possible.

[j_neatherlin]

I was simply making a point that it is possible to stunt your growth when weightlifting and by stating that this idea is simply a myth is false.

The epiphyseal plates are fragile because they are cartilaginous and can be damaged.

And yes, it is rare to have an injury serious enough to significantly affect your height, but it still is possible.

well, when taking into account serious injury, we're not really talking about the same thing.

are deadlifts bad for your back? no, unless you blow a disc due to serious injury. are squats bad for your knees? no, unless you blow out your knee due to serious injury. are bench presses bad for your pecs? no, not unless you blow out a pec due to serious injury.

i don't see much difference in my examples above and your reasoning behind weightlifting CAN stunt growth.

[j_neatherlin]

btw hopefully that made sense i'm totally fcuked right now from a really intense training session

[E Thug]

well, when taking into account serious injury, we're not really talking about the same thing.

are deadlifts bad for your back? no, unless you blow a disc due to serious injury. are squats bad for your knees? no, unless you blow out your knee due to serious injury. are bench presses bad for your pecs? no, not unless you blow out a pec due to serious injury.

i don't see much difference in my examples above and your reasoning behind weightlifting CAN stunt growth.

Because children especially between the ages of 13-15 are prone to this type of thing and as a result should have a program that addresses this issue. Overhead lifting should not be done with near maximal loads, not because a particular excercise is bad for them, but because children are prone to this type of injury. You are talking about freak accidents, things you can do little to prevent other than by keeping strong. I am talking about prevention, there are certain excercises that children should avoid because they CAN fracture their growth plates.

[j_neatherlin]

what is the incidence of these types of breaks in children? also, do you know (or did they not specify) the salter harris class of fracture that is most likely to cause the stunted growth.

[Rushed77]

Just had to bump this saying i fractured a growth plate in my sacrum when i was 15 going on 16. Deadlifts did it with too much weight and improper form. Now my pelvis is asymmetrical and it causes my spine to not be level. Now i have chronic pain. Since i was 17. Yeah it sucks. Wish i waited for squats/deads til 18.