Bodybuilding is a sport that is spreading and attracting more and more young teenagers. Indeed, more and more people want todevelop musclesto achieve a dream physique. However, it is still necessary to alert the youngest to the possible risks associated with the practice. Bodybuilding and growth, is it compatible? Does strength training or weight lifting stunt growth?
Bodybuilding is a sport that attracts many teenagers who want to get to know their body and its limits while building muscle mass to form an athletic body. We often hear that weight training practiced at a young age could have harmful effects on health. Indeed, the practice of weight training is perceived as dangerous because it could stop growth, reduce flexibility, reduce cardio-respiratory capacity and damage the tendons and joints of adolescents. What is it really?
In this article, Niketrainers.com.co will tell you:
The benefits of bodybuilding
Contrary to popular belief, the practice of bodybuilding during adolescence does not only have negative effects on the body. Exercised in a reasonable way, it allows the growth of bone mass and helps the body to form, not to shape the body. This is the whole nuance of good practice.
In addition, bodybuilding is a sport easily associated with another discipline. In addition to being a combat sport, among other things, it can be done with the aim of developing one’s qualities and speed . Also, in addition to endurance, bodybuilding brings the side of muscle building to be associated with cardio.
Psychologically, bodybuilding helps to increase self-esteem, self-confidence, and perseverance. It has a strong stimulating power, especially among adolescents. Yes, sport is also in the head!
The metaphysis, key to bone growth,
In children, the long bones have a very different structure than in adults. In adults, the bone is made up of two parts: the diaphysis which is the long part located in the middle of the bone and the epiphysis which is the rounded end located on both sides of a long bone.
In addition, in children and adolescents, there is a third element located between the epiphysis and the diaphysis. This is the metaphysis, also called growth plate. This part of the bone constantly produces new cells called chondrocytes, which then ossify, that is, they become part of the long bone.
The metaphysis fully ossifies from a certain age, generally between 19 and 21 years. Complete ossification means that the cartilage becomes part of the bone and only a thin layer remains at the boundary between the metaphysis and the epiphysis. This is the line of the epiphysis.
Metaphysis and injuries impacting growth
Now you know what the metaphysis, also called the growth plate, is and its role in bone growth in children and adolescents. But what happens when this part suffers an injury and what are the consequences for the teenager’s body?
Potential metaphyseal injuries are precisely the reason why some doctors advise against violent exertion in children and adolescents. But don’t listen to all the rumours. The only reason scientists, practitioners and coaches advise young people against resistance training is the perceived risk of damaging growth cartilage.
The metaphysis can be damaged during training. While such accidents are rare, they do exist. Of course, all accidents causing fractures can lead to injury to the metaphysis. From this point of view, skiing and climbing are just as dangerous as weight training.
About 85% of injuries to the metaphysis heal without sequelae. The remaining 15% cause deformities in the damaged bone. In some cases, it will never stop growing and in others, the growth will not be done properly and the bone will be more or less bent.
In other words, someone who injures their metaphysis may end up with one arm or leg shorter than the other.
Note that some metaphyses are much more important than others in terms of growth. The most active area is located around the knee. This is why serious knee injuries should be avoided at all costs during childhood and adolescence.
The rules for a safe practice of bodybuilding in adolescents
In order not to damage growth, it is essential to follow certain rules when practicing bodybuilding in adolescents:
- Pay particular attention to your joints, they are fragile when you are growing.
- Do not worry about mass gain,diets,or cutting, these are concepts reserved for the most advanced.
- Eat healthy, enough to eat, avoiding food supplements that are not suitable for your growing body.
- Incorporate stretching exercises into your workouts to maintain your flexibility.
- Practice bodybuilding in addition to another sport, such as a team sport or endurance, to develop your cardio-respiratory capacities.
- For moderate practice, train once a week first, in addition to another sport. Increase the number of sessions over time.
- Do this sport with one of your parents to increase your motivation and add friendliness to your workouts.
- Do not hesitate to consult a doctor to find out if this activity may be suitable for you according to your age, weight, bone composition and possibly past injuries.
Finally, be aware that bodyweight bodybuilding is particularly recommended for adolescents because it allows you to work on strength, endurance, resistance, and power, but also flexibility using progressive training to maintain motivation. The exercises she suggests are not dangerous or traumatic since they are done using body weight.
Strength training does not stop growth.
Practiced reasonably, bodybuilding does not stop growth, quite the contrary. No exercise is prohibited in itself for adolescents, but it will be necessary to be vigilant with poly-articular exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, ormilitary presses. These exercises offer the possibility of putting on a lot of weight and potentially injuring yourself.
For teenagers who wish to put on weights, they should be reasonable, with a working range of around 15 repetitions for primarily technical work. This does not prevent you from building muscle, quite the contrary. 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a light to moderate load will be much more effective than a set of 8 reps in a developing, uninitiated individual.
Moreover, weightlifting can be practiced in schools from the sixth grade within the framework of the sports association. The students are judged on the placement of the back, their coordination, the trajectory of the bar and the efficiency of their gesture. In high school, as soon as you enter second class, bodybuilding is compulsory to prepare, in particular, for the baccalaureate exams.
If bodybuilding doesn’t stop growth, why do so many people believe in it?
Many people fall into error and listen to rumors confusing cause and effect. In reality, the best bodybuilders or weightlifters are not very tall. It’s very easy to carry a heavy weight overhead if you have a short waist.
The reason is that you don’t need to raise that heavy weight very far off the ground. The majority of bodybuilders, some of whom can weigh more than 100 kg, are not very tall either. The reason is very simple. It is more difficult for a large bodybuilder to consume large amounts of food to fuel his muscle mass. It’s all the easier for smaller builds with smaller muscles.
Since the best weightlifters or bodybuilders are short in stature, many people mistakenly believe that it is due to lifting heavy weights. While they should say that it is rather their stature that is responsible for their success.
It is also important to note that no scientific and medical evidence has been provided to demonstrate that bodybuilding plays a negative role in growth. There is therefore no reserve to have for teenagers wishing to get started.
In Summary, Strength Training Doesn’t Stop Growth
Don’t listen to rumors, gossip or “one says”, whether on the Internet or in real life. Bodybuilding is not a brake on the growth of people who practice it. Although it is important to take into account certain rules for safe sessions for adolescents, weight training is a good exercise for the body and mind of the youngest.
To start and become familiar with the discipline, it is recommended to work with your body weight. And when you want to add weight, don’t aim too high. Remember to progress in stages while taking into account food and cardio.