Athletes spend hours a day practicing their sport. Sometimes, these sports can be harmful to the body and lead to injuries that might hamper performance or cause pain later on in life. One of the most common questions from athletes is, “can playing basketball increase height?” In this blog post, we will cover how basketball affects height so you can have an informed decision when choosing your next activity.
Does playing Basketball Make You Grow?
According to recent studies, there is a link between human height development and basketball. Some dismiss this as an urban legend, claiming that heredity is the primary determinant of one’s height. However, there is some evidence that the actions involved in playing basketball can help you grow taller during your developing years.
According to studies, when you jump while playing basketball, the body’s current flow to your brain increases. This causes your body to produce more growth hormone, which causes you to grow taller. Both boys and females can benefit from high doses of growth hormone, which can help them increase height quickly. Basketball players can grow taller fast during their developmental years with enhanced growth hormone levels, eventually reaching or even surpassing their genetically assigned height.
Furthermore, basketball requires a lot of running, jumping, shooting, and dribbling, all of which promote height by stretching your arms and spine. Running stimulates the release of growth hormone, jumping increases blood flow to the growth plates, and shooting and dribbling promote height by stretching your arms and spine. It may be claimed that every action made while playing basketball contributes to height gain in some way.
This could explain why many NBA players experience substantial growth spurts during their adolescent years. By practicing basketball, several of them got 8 inches taller in one summer.
What about volleyball, where the players also leap a lot? Male volleyball players are on average 6 feet 6.5 inches tall. Volleyball is anticipated to provide a similar height-increasing benefit. Regardless, having superior height offers players an advantage over their opponents on the court. The higher a player is, the further they can reach for the ball. As a result, unless you have a rare talent, most volleyball teams exclusively hire tall players.
How Can playing Basketball Increase your Height?
When you reach puberty, your height will increase at a rapid speed over the next two years. For most teenagers, puberty lasts between two and five years. However, if your growth plates are still open, you have a strong possibility of naturally becoming taller. Playing basketball regularly during your growing years, especially during puberty, will enhance bone growth and strength, allowing you to grow taller faster. Combine basketball games with stretching exercises to maintain good health and muscle flexibility.
Furthermore, you should be conscious of what you consume daily, as nutrition is the most critical external element influencing your height. In other words, you won’t be able to attain your maximum height potential if you eat a lot of junk food instead of eating a nutritious and balanced diet. As a result, you must ensure that your body gets enough critical nutrients to grow at a healthy rate and attain its genetically assigned height.
Sleep, in addition to nourishment, is critical for children’s development. The release of growth hormone, which is responsible for height growth, is aided by enough sleep. After a good night’s sleep, you will not only feel rejuvenated, but you will also grow taller. As a result, you should get at least 8 hours of sleep each night and resist staying up all night. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will also assist you in gaining those extra inches. To maximize your height gain, avoid smoking, alcohol, and drugs.
Crazy Growth
Apart from mind-blowing shots and incredible games, the sport is known for some of the finest players’ insane growth spurts. Many athletes may be able to make it to the NBA due to a massive growth spurt during high school, which enabled them to receive scholarships to popular basketball teams at prestigious schools. Many athletes are already good in their home states and are improving their skills, but they grow 6 to 12 inches taller after a year, allowing them to compete in the NBA.
As a basketball player, it’s becoming progressively harder to stand out, as tall and athletic players rely more on their physical strength than their talents. As a result, unless you’re a freak athlete, you won’t compete in the game unless you have a superior height. Many players have benefited from growth spurts after improving their skills and then increasing a few inches through one summer.
Other Advantages Of Basketball
- Like any other aerobic workout, basketball requires intensity, which gets your heart pounding and lowers your risk of heart disease.
- Players can burn a lot of calories when playing basketball because of the motions required. This would efficiently minimize excess weight and maintain the athletes’ fitness in line.
- Basketball improves the immune system by strengthening the body’s internal defense mechanism. Our bodies are protected by having a healthy and powerful immune system from toxins, germs, and infections, many of which can make people sick.
- Bone strength and muscular development are both developed and promoted. Basketball lowers the incidence of fractures and osteoporosis. Furthermore, it aids mineral absorption into our bones, strengthening them. Also, the sport stimulates and enhances the associated muscles to a significant amount.
- It is beneficial to mental wellness. The talents you gain in the game boost your general confidence and self-esteem. When practicing and playing as part of a team, especially with a coach, concentration and self-discipline will improve as well.
- Basketball is a team activity that allows you to form enduring friendships and bonds.
Conclusion
In conclusion, playing basketball does not necessarily make you taller. However, engaging in a regular exercise like basketball can have many benefits for your health, including helping to increase your physical strength and improve joint mobility. Additionally, sticking with a healthy diet and getting enough rest are important steps in increasing your height regardless of athletic activity. So while playing basketball may not make you taller, taking the right steps to ensure good health and fitness can certainly help.
