Many parents worry that intense gymnastics training might affect a teen’s height or slow their growth. The good news is that research shows gymnastics does not usually stunt growth. However, training, nutrition, and health habits can influence when and how teens grow.
Why Parents Worry About Growth in Gymnastics
If you look at elite competitions, many top gymnasts:
- Are shorter than their classmates
- Hit puberty later than average
- Stay very lean and muscular
And naturally, parents wonder:
- “Does the sport stunt their growth?”
- “Will all this training make my child shorter as an adult?”
- “Is it safe for my teen to train 10–20+ hours a week?”
Researchers have been studying this for decades in both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, comparing gymnasts to swimmers, non-athletes, and other sports. Overall, they find:
Gymnasts are usually short because of their genetics and body type selection, not because training makes their bones stop growing.
However, training and lifestyle can influence the timing of growth and puberty, especially if the athlete is under-fueled or over-trained.
How Height Normally Works in the Teen Years
Before talking about gymnastics, it helps to understand what’s “normal” during adolescence.
Genetics: the biggest factor
Studies estimate that 60–80% of a person’s adult height is determined by genetics (family height patterns). Doctors often estimate expected height by looking at mid-parental height, a simple calculation based on mom’s and dad’s heights.
In other words, much of your child’s height potential is set long before their first cartwheel.
Growth plates and puberty
Bones grow from areas of cartilage called growth plates. During puberty, hormone changes especially growth hormone, estrogen, and testosterone trigger:
- A growth spurt (fast height gain)
- Then growth plate closure, which ends height growth
For girls, peak growth velocity usually happens around ages 10–12; for boys, around 12–14, although there’s a wide normal range.
What the Research Says About Gymnasts’ Height
1. Gymnasts are often shorter than average but mostly by selection
Across many studies, elite and high-level gymnasts tend to:
- Be shorter and lighter than average for their age
- Have shorter limbs, lower body mass, and compact, muscular builds
But when scientists compare them to their parents and siblings, they usually find:
- Gymnasts come from families who are also shorter and lighter than average
- Siblings who don’t do gymnastics often reach similar adult heights
- Gymnasts are not dramatically shorter than what their genetics would predict
This points to a strong self-selection effect:
Children with compact builds progress faster and stay in the sport longer, while taller, later-maturing kids often move to other athletic pursuits. This makes it look like gymnastics produces short athletes, even though the sport is simply retaining the body types that naturally excel.
2. Does training actually stop bones from growing?
So far, research does not support the idea that properly supervised gymnastics training:
- Stops growth plates from working
- Permanently stunts height in healthy, well-nourished athletes
Long-term studies following gymnasts from childhood into adulthood show:
- They reach heights close to their predicted adult height
- Their growth may be slower or delayed, but final height is usually consistent with genetics
In other words, the risks are less about training itself and more about how training is managed, including volume, nutrition, stress, and injury care.
Puberty Timing: Why Many Teen Gymnasts Look “Behind”
One of the biggest visible differences in gymnasts is when puberty happens.
Later puberty is common in serious female gymnasts
High-level teen gymnasts often:
- Start menstrual periods later than peers
- Show delayed secondary sexual characteristics
- Maintain a pre-pubertal body type longer
This delay is typically caused by a mix of:
- Genetics and body type
Many high-level gymnasts are naturally late maturers. - High energy expenditure
Training 15–25 hours a week burns a significant amount of calories. If intake doesn’t match output, the body may slow down reproductive functions. - Low body fat or chronic under-fueling
Low energy availability can disrupt hormonal signaling and delay or interrupt menstrual cycles.
Does delayed puberty reduce final height?
This is a common concern, and research suggests:
- Delayed puberty can temporarily slow height gain, because the growth spurt happens later.
- But with adequate nutrition and good monitoring, most gymnasts catch up toward their genetic height range once puberty progresses.
Problems arise when:
- Energy intake is chronically too low
- Hormonal issues or eating disorders go untreated
- High training loads continue without proper rest
In those cases, bone density and potentially height can be affected, not by gymnastics itself, but by the effects of Red-S / the female athlete triad (low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, low bone density).
Injuries, Growth Plates, and Impact Forces
Another common concern:
“All that pounding, won’t it damage their growth plates?”
Impact and tumbling
Gymnastics includes:
- Repeated landings from height
- Tumbling passes
- Vaulting
- Beam jumps and dismounts
These high forces can stress growing bones and joints.
Growth plate injuries
Like many youth sports that involve jumping and impact (cheer, basketball, distance running), gymnastics carries some risk for:
- Growth plate irritation (especially wrist, ankle, knee)
- Overuse injuries (stress reactions or stress fractures)
- Acute injuries from falls or awkward landings
With proper coaching, technique, progressions, rest, and medical care, these generally heal without impacting final height.
Severe or repeated growth plate injuries that go ignored or poorly managed, however, could theoretically affect limb length, although this is uncommon.
This is why:
- Good gyms focus on technique, strength, and safe progressions
- Pain that keeps returning or limits movement should always be evaluated by a sports-medicine professional
Key Takeaways for Parents and Teens
Let’s bring it back to the main question:
Does intense gymnastics training during adolescence affect growth?
In summary:
- Gymnasts tend to be shorter because of genetics and body-type selection, not because training stunts growth.
- Intense training can delay puberty and slow growth temporarily, especially if nutrition is insufficient.
- With good fueling, responsible coaching, and regular medical monitoring, most gymnasts reach the height their genetics predict.
The greatest risks to growth come from:
- Under-fueling / Red-S
- Untreated injuries (especially around growth plates)
- Extreme training cultures that dismiss pain or early warning signs
With the right support, gymnasts can keep flipping, flying, and growing, both as athletes and as healthy teenagers.
