In adolescent growth spurt, 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 more growth can occur. 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.
1. Height is related to early and late sexual maturity
The age of maturity will affect the rapid growth of height. Generally is the rapid growth phenomenon occurs earlier, it is faster to reach the termination point; later occurrence, also later to reach its end. 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 that make up 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. As you can see, comprehensive and reasonable nutrition is a factor that affects height, and is also necessary to remedy height. The bones, especially the lower limbs and spine, have the most vigorous metabolism around puberty, which requires abundant supply of nutrients. Diet high protein, especially animal protein and calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and other inorganic salts food, such as lean meat, eggs, milk, fish and a variety of metabolism-promoting vitamins B, E, beans, grains and fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutrients, all contribute to the full development of bones, that is, the growth of bones, thickening, widening and thickening of the bone cortex.
3, height and sleep-related
Biologists studying the secretion pattern of endocrine glands found that for children and adolescents, sleep well and grow taller. The growth of height depends on the continuous growth of the epiphysis, which is controlled by the 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 adequate sleep, at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
4, height and genetic related
According to research, 75% of the final height of the human body depends on genetic factors. In other words, in general, the parents are high, the children are also high; parents are short, the children are 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 related
According to the survey, a year of physical exercise can make the height of boys 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 figure, 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, and the third is to have a good stimulating effect on 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 the following exercises are particularly helpful for children to grow taller.
(1) Height touching exercises.
(2) pole climbing or rope ladder climbing exercises.
(3) Upper body pulling forward.
(4) Cross stretching.
(5) jumping rope, jumping rope, kicking shuttlecock.
(6) single pole draping.
(7) swimming.
These exercises 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, but also not suitable for such sports, so as not to affect the development of height.
6, height and mental factors related.
Studies have found that children who have been severely traumatized mentally have delayed growth and even stagnated. This is because bad emotions can affect the function of the brain and endocrine system, the lighter to affect physical development, the heavier to lead 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”.