Do Free Weights Stunt Your Growth?

A question that concerned parents often wonder about is whether their child's growth will be stunted by lifting free weights. Up until recently, due to lack of scientific evidence, this was perhaps a valid concern. Fortunately, in the past few decades, light has been shed on this previously unknown subject.

Growth Plates

Growth plates, also known as epiphyseal plates, are the sites on long bones where growth takes place during childhood and adolescence. Once these plates are sealed, growth stops. Injury to this area can also result in the stoppage of growth. Out of all areas in the developing skeletal system, the epiphyseal plates are the most vulnerable area to injury, even more so than tendons and ligaments. According to the National Institutes of Health, there is evidence that more than 30 percent of epiphyseal plate injuries can be attributed to competitive sports trauma. Recreational activity such as skateboarding and skiing make up another 20 percent. It seems logical that weight training could also pose a threat.

Weightlifting

A properly implemented and supervised youth weight training program delivers many benefits while posing a low risk of musculoskeletal injury. Supporting agencies of adolescent weightlifting include such organizations as the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite a few conflicting reports, there is no evidence that a properly supervised weightlifting protocol will cause injury to a developing child's epiphyseal plates and stunt growth.

Acceptable Age

According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, resistance training, whether it be body weight, exercise machine or free weights, probably has a favorable influence on growth at any stage of development. "The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance" reports that children as young as 6 have benefited from weightlifting.

Benefits

Avery D. Faigenbaum of the National Strength and Conditioning Association states that resistance training programs involving free weights and other exercise devices such as medicine balls can strengthen bones, facilitate weight control, enhance psychosocial well-being and improve the cardiovascular risk profiles of youth and adolescent athletes. The positive impact on bone density and tendon strength may actually lessen the likelihood of injury in high-contact sports like soccer and American football.

Warning

While many prestigious organizations support the implementation of weight training into a young athlete's overall program, keep a few key points in mind. Children are not adults and therefore should not follow the same protocol. When beginning a program, the load should be kept minimal and increased only when determined appropriate by a certified professional. Supervision is key. A well-supervised program of no less than one coach per 10 athletes is recommended by the NSCA. This ratio ensures that correct resistance is selected and that proper technique is followed.