Does weight training, or weightlifting, stunt growth?

We have heard the statement ‘weight training stunts growth.’ This has been around for many years, as there were instances where children and adolescents were forced into heavy labour. A correlation was found associating their short height with their labour demands of persistently lifting heavy objects. However, research has indicated that weight training does not stunt the youth’s growth. In light of this contradiction, let us scrutinise further the facts behind weight training, or weightlifting, and stunted growth.

The first major matter to be addressed is the difference between weight training and weightlifting. Weight training is defined as exercising with weights, which involves free weights (e.g. dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells) and assisted machines (e.g. cable and smith machines). The objective is to improve overall fitness, which may include muscular endurance and muscular strength. Conversely, weightlifting is a more circumscribed term — the objective is dissimilar, but the equipment utilised may overlap (such as barbells). Weightlifting precisely means lifting weights. It is a sport, even incorporated in the Olympics as Olympic Weightlifting. The purpose of this sport is to identify who can lift the heaviest weight, hence this activity requires the athlete to continuously progress the load and lift maximum weights, which differs from the aims of weight training. Weight training is something done particularly progressively, with no intent to lift maximum loads. The youth performs weight training instead of weightlifting.

On this note, the statement ‘weight training stunts growth’ is predominantly a myth, under certain conditions. There needs to be supervision, careful progressions made along with correct techniques taught and applied, especially for those under 18 years of age, as they are at their crucial periods of growth. Without these conditions, injuries, specifically vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), will happen, stunting growth.

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (n.d.) states that VCFs “occur when the bony block or vertebral body in the spine collapses, which can lead to severe pain, deformity and loss of height.” Sports injuries can be the cause of VCFs in people with healthy spines, and VCFs can occur with minor or no symptoms (such as pain). It is not advised for young and teenage trainees to lift maximum weights as weightlifting is a high-intensity sport with a high risk for VCFs. The issue with teenagers nowadays is they overload unnecessarily. They shift their purpose to weightlifting, which is unsafe. Thus, the statement ‘weightlifting stunts growth’ may be verifiable.

The most quoted research in many web articles in a counterclaim to the statement ‘weight training stunts growth’ is by the American Academy of Pediatrics (2020). Some rationales for the argument are: weight training instead evinces many health advantages, the weight training programme designed for the experiment is performed with professional supervision and correct techniques, and there is no evidence supporting the initial statement (Stricker et al., 2020). The research is accurate, as it is correct that weight training is beneficial. However, the issue not addressed is weightlifting/lifting maximum weights (what teenagers may do unnecessarily), as this is the cause of VCFs and stunted growth. When beginning to exercise with weights, lighter loads are used then gradually increased. Going back to the origins of this issue regarding the underaged workers, they are untrained individuals who lift heavy loads with no progression applied. Therefore, too much stress is put on their vertebral body, leading to a fracture, stunting growth.

Taking into account scientific research for both the support and opposition, weight training is safe for everyone if done correctly and progressed safely under the guidance of a professional. Furthermore, weightlifting—a high-impact sport with a high risk for vertebral injuries—is perilous for the youth and teenagers. We should permit weight training for them as this profoundly benefits their health and fitness, though supervised and the objectives must remain as weight training.

References

American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (n.d.). Vertebral compression fractures. https://www.aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Vertebral-Compression-Fractures

Jeff Nippard. (2018, January 23). Does weight training stunt your growth? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXIw75JFlE

Stricker, P., Faigenbaum, A., McCambridge, T., LaBella, C., Brooks, M., Canty, G., Diamond, A., Hennrikus, W., Logan, K., Moffatt, K., Nemeth, B., Pengel, K., & Peterson, A., 2020. Resistance Training for Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 145(6). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-1011

Valuckas, L. (2020, September 3). What is weightlifting? Sam’s Fitness. https://samsfitness.com.au/sams-blog/what-is-weightlifting