Your genes are the biggest factor in
determining your height.
16 years old can
drive. By the time you're 18, you're a legal adult in most states. At the age
of 21, you can legally purchase alcoholic beverages. But at what age will you
stop growing taller?
Even if you enter
puberty later, you are unlikely to be in 18 to 20. Most boys reach
their peak height around the age of 16. However, men still
develop in other ways in their 20s.
Studies have found that
the brain doesn't fully develop until age 25, and men typically reach peak
muscle mass between the ages of 20 and 30.
In this article, we
will discuss when men usually stop growing and what determines your height.
At
what age does the boy stop growing?
Boys go through puberty the faster. While some guys might reach puberty as early as age 9, others might not reach puberty until age 15. Between the ages of 12 and 15, many guys may have their largest growth spurt.
The duration of puberty is two to five years. It's not a guarantee that someone who spends more time in adolescence would perform better than someone who spends less time in youth.
Most people only develop somewhat after the age of 18, according to growth charts. Rarely, some people may start growing in their teens and continue into their early twenties after reaching puberty.
Because most people's growth plates fuse soon after puberty, growth stops at this age. Plates of growth are
What
are the factors that affect height growth?
Your height depends
heavily on your genes. External factors such as sleep duration and nutrition
can also affect your height.
Genetics
Genetics plays the
biggest role in determining your height. It is estimated that about 80% of height is
determined by heredity. The other 20% are influenced by external factors.
You can use the Middle
Parent method to estimate your child's height:
1. Add up the heights
of the child's mother and father and divide by two.
2. If the child is a boy, add 2.5 inches. If the child is a girl, subtract 2.5
inches.
For example, if a
boy's dad is 5'11" and his mom is 5'4, "the child may be around
5'10." However, this is only a rough guide, not an accurate prediction.
Nourishment
In addition to your genes,
nutrition has the biggest impact on
your height. Children who do not have adequate access to one or more of the
essential nutrients often experience stunting.
Protein deficiencies
are common nutritional deficiencies that limit the height. Mineral, vitamin D,
and vitamin A deficiencies can also affect growth.
Go to bed
When you sleep, your
body produces growth hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Both of these
hormones are essential for the normal development of bones.
Sleep deprivation is
thought to hinder growth, although more research is needed to fully understand
the role of sleep on height development.
Drugs
Some stimulant drugs
used to treat attention deficit disorder may cause growth delays. However, more
research is needed to understand their effects.
A 2015 observational study
looked at the link between central stimulants and developmental delay in the
treatment of ADHD. The study evaluated 410 children aged 0.9 to 16.1 years. The
researchers found that the drug caused the increase in height and weight to
stop temporarily. Even after six years of taking the drug, the children still
did not catch up with their expected growth.
A study published by
Other Learning in 2014
followed 340 children with ADHD into adulthood. They concluded that stimulant
drugs do not affect the height of children as adults.
Health status
Various genetic or
chronic diseases can lead to developmental delay. Some of the conditions
include:
- Thyroid disease
- Turner syndrome
- Cartilage hypoplasia
- Down syndrome
- · Russell-Silver syndrome
- Bone disease
What
can you do to influence your growth or height?
Once your growth
plates are fused, you can barely affect your height. Even regular exercise and
a healthy diet are unlikely to affect your height.
By improving posture,
you may increase your height slightly. Improving your posture will help
straighten your spine, but it won't make your bones longer.
Some of the ways you
can improve your posture include:
- Regular stretching
- Strengthen your core
- Often sit in a good posture
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid listlessness
Your height fluctuates
by about 0.3 inches from the time
you wake up to the bed, and your spine is compressed throughout the day. If you
measure yourself in the morning, you may notice that you are slightly taller
than you are at night.
If you're still
growing, a balanced diet and adequate sleep can help you maximize your genetic
potential.
When
to see a doctor
It's important to have
your child checked by a pediatrician regularly so they can track their growth
over time. Their doctors can compare their growth curves with those of other
children of the same age to see if their progression is normal.
The doctor can also
answer any specific concerns you may have about your or your child's height.
Key
takeaways
Your genes are the
biggest factor in determining your height.
As you grow, external
factors like your diet and sleep duration can also affect your health.
Shortly after puberty,
the growth plates of the long bones fuse. Once these bones are fused together,
you can barely change your height. Most men reach an adult height in their
teens.