Does running stunt your growth???? PLEASE ANSWER?

Question

okay... im am 15 years old and i am on the shorter side of 5'3" like 95ish pounds i run varsity cross country and track and im pretty into it.

i run 6 days a week, with an average of 5 miles per day, and my mileage is going to start increasing because of cross country season. so probably around 38-45 miles per week

i know that i am probably not going to grow a lot any way but i was just curious if running stunted your growth at all.

i was just wondering in general too if it stunts your growth

Answer 1

Running absolutely does NOT stunt your growth, unless you break your leg or something.  Running can actually help you grow because it helps build muscle mass which can stimulate growth.

Answer 2

Not a chance. Some of the fastest marathoners are well over 6 feet tall.

It all about genetics...if mom and dad a short, chances are good you'll be the same.

You could very well hit a growth spurt in the next 6 months and end up being tall!

Answer 3

Ever see a midget run track?

Answer 4

Nope. You must replenish your calories and make sure you eat balanced meals. Because of your age you need the calories to sustain your growing body. Tagger

Answer 5

I dont believe so, and if it does, it doesnt have much of any effect. Only sport i know that does is gymnastics,

Answer 6

NO!

Answer 7

Well, a lot of professional athletes, especially gymnasts, are significantly shorter than the general population. It may be because the exercise stunts growth or because shorter people tend to be better at those kinds of sports. I believe it is a combination of both factors. Many high school track stars are small like you. Btw, 95 pounds doesn't sound very healthy for a 15 year old. I know that running so much would probably make it hard for you to gain weight even if you wanted to, but you should consider adding more protein to your diet so that you can add muscle weight, which will help you become a stronger, faster runner. So I don't know if running stunts growth, although it seems probable. Not eating enough definately DOES stunt growth.