In the growth spurt of adolescence, height growth is very fast. The growth is mainly due to the development of bones. Boys can increase their height by an average of 7 to 9 cm per year, up to 10 to 12 cm. Girls can gain an average of 5 to 7 cm per year, up to 8 to 10 cm. This mainly depends on the growth of the lower limbs and the spine. Height growth generally stops at the age of 19 to 23 for women and 23 to 26 for men.
This is when the epiphysis closes, so no further growth is possible. Because the epiphysis of women generally closes earlier than that of men, adult women are shorter than men. Adolescent boys and girls want to have a taller body, which requires further understanding of the factors that may affect height: (1) Height is related to early and late sexual maturity The early and late age of maturity affects the rapid growth of height. Generally, people who experience rapid growth earlier reach the termination point sooner; those who experience it later also reach their end point later. While young girls with early sexual maturity stop growing taller, young girls with late sexual maturity are still growing taller. As a result, late sexual maturing girls are taller. The fastest growing period of height is the prepubertal period. In the year before the first menstruation of girls, the increase of height can reach 7-8 cm; while the peak of height growth of boys is the first year of puberty, about 13-14 years old, the height increase can reach 10-12 cm.
(2) height and nutrition-related In a sense, height is nutrients (especially protein) “stacked” up. There are 50,000 to 100,000 kinds of proteins in the human body, and the 8 essential amino acids that make up these proteins depend on food supply. If food can provide sufficient amounts of the eight essential amino acids, it can accelerate the synthesis of protein, which helps the growth and development of all tissues and organs of the body, especially the growth and development of bones and skeletal cartilage. Tests on preschool children showed that the experimental group that added 0.5 grams of lysine to each meal of bread had significantly higher height and weight than the other children.
In Japan, six twin infants were tested in two groups, with the first group given normal nutrition and the second group adding lysine to their food. 1300 days later, the infants in the second group were on average 1.7 cm taller and 1 kg heavier than those in the first group. It is evident that comprehensive and proper nutrition is a factor that affects height and is also necessary to remedy height. Bones, especially the lower limbs and spine, have the most vigorous metabolism during sexual development, which requires a rich supply of nutrients.
A diet high in protein, especially animal protein and calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and other inorganic salts, such as lean meat, eggs, milk, fish and a variety of metabolism-promoting vitamins B, E, beans, grains and fresh fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that contribute to the full development of bones, i.e., the growth, thickening, widening and thickening of the bone cortex.
(3) Height is related to sleep. Biologists studying the secretion pattern of endocrine glands found that children and adolescents grow taller when they sleep well. The growth of height depends on the continuous growth of epiphysis, which in turn is controlled by endocrine glands. The main endocrine hormones that control height are growth hormone, luteinizing hormone and sex hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, among which growth hormone has the most significant effect. The secretion of growth hormone has its obvious regularity, that is, it is less secreted during the day and more secreted at night when sleeping.
Researchers have found that when children sleep deeply for one hour, the secretion of growth hormone exceeds that of daytime by five to seven times, while the secretion of sex hormone and luteinizing hormone is also very strong during deep sleep. Obviously, this is very beneficial to the growth of height in children. Adolescence is the period when growth hormone and androgen secretion is at its peak. The main function of growth hormone is to make the bones of the limbs grow; androgens make the bones thicker and stronger. The secretion of these two hormones is especially strong during sleep, so adolescents should ensure sufficient sleep, at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
(4) Height and genetics According to research, 75% of the final height of the human body depends on genetic factors. That is to say, in general, parents with high stature, children’s stature is also high; parents with short stature, children’s stature is also short. However, parental height is not the only factor that affects the height of children, external factors, that is, the impact of environmental conditions on height should not be ignored. External factors mainly refer to nutrition, living habits, physical exercise, etc.
(5) height and physical exercise According to the survey, a year of physical exercise can make boys’ height 1 to 2 cm longer than their peers who do not exercise, and girls 2 to 3 cm longer. Elementary school students who exercise regularly are about 5 cm taller than those who do not exercise. Physical exercise can promote the growth of the body, one is to promote the secretion of growth hormone, the second is to strengthen the blood supply of bone cells, which is conducive to improving the proliferation of epiphyseal cartilage. According to the study, the secretion of growth hormone increases significantly after exercise, and at the same time, exercise also exercises muscles and bones, making them more robust.
Therefore, domestic and foreign researchers unanimously affirm: exercise helps to grow taller. Experts suggest that some of the following exercises are especially helpful for children to grow taller. a. touch height exercise; b. climbing pole or rope ladder exercise; c. upper body front lead; d. cross stretching; e. jump rope, jumping band, shuttlecock; f. single pole dangling; g. swimming. These trainings will increase the flexibility of joints and ligaments and help in height development. Weight training like weight lifting, barbell, shot put, discus, etc., should not be used as a regular training program for teenagers before the age of 18, even after the puberty development period, it is also not suitable for such sports, so as not to affect the development of height.
(6) height and mental factors.
Studies have found that children who have been severely traumatized mentally have delayed or even stagnated growth. This is because bad emotions can affect the function of the brain and endocrine system, the lighter the impact on physical development, the heavier it leads to a variety of diseases. Therefore, sadness and depression will not only make children and adolescents vulnerable to various diseases, but also affect growth and development, and even the phenomenon of “aging before aging”.