Many gymnasts are short because the sport naturally favors smaller bodies that rotate quickly, balance easily, and maintain strong power-to-weight ratios. Decades of research show that normal, well-fueled gymnastics training does not permanently stunt growth.
Some athletes may grow more slowly during their peak training years, especially if they don’t eat enough, but with proper nutrition and recovery, they reach their genetic height potential.
What the Research Actually Says About Growth
Early Concerns
In 1993, a widely cited study suggested that heavy pre-pubertal training (more than 18 hours per week) might reduce growth potential in young female gymnasts. This raised alarms and sparked decades of debate about whether the demands of the sport could stunt height.
The Consensus That Followed
Since then, larger reviews and long-term studies have consistently shown a clearer picture:
- Adult height is not affected by training. Gymnasts who train intensively through adolescence still reach their expected adult stature.
- Short stature is largely a matter of selection, not suppression. The sport tends to attract late-maturing, smaller-bodied athletes—similar to shorter youth in the general population who never take up gymnastics.
- Growth slowdowns are usually temporary. Some gymnasts experience slower growth during their peak training years, but they typically catch up later. Nutrition and energy balance often explain these delays more than the training itself.
Put simply: elite gymnasts are generally short to begin with. Their compact build gives them a competitive edge, helping them progress further, but in the end they still grow to the height their genetics intended.
Why Gymnastics Selects for Smaller Athletes
When people notice that many top gymnasts are short, it’s tempting to assume the sport makes them that way. In reality, it’s more about who thrives and stays in gymnastics long-term.
Children with smaller, later-maturing builds often advance more quickly because their bodies naturally suit the skills. As these athletes progress, they receive more positive reinforcement from coaches and often earn competitive success earlier.
Over time, this creates a selection effect: the gymnasts who reach the elite stage tend to be those whose body types fit the sport best. Training doesn’t necessarily make them shorter, it’s that the sport itself filters for athletes who are already compact and powerful.
Do Young Gymnasts Damage Their Growth Plates?
Growth plates (also called epiphyseal plates) are areas of developing cartilage near the ends of long bones. Because they are softer than mature bone, they are the weakest part of a child’s skeleton. This makes them more vulnerable to injury, not just in gymnastics, but in almost every youth sport, from basketball to soccer.
Gymnastics and Growth Plates
- High-impact landings: Vault, floor, and beam routines involve repeated jumping and hard landings, which can stress the wrists, ankles, and knees.
- Wrist overuse: A well-documented concern in young gymnasts is distal radial physeal stress syndrome (often called “gymnast’s wrist”), caused by repetitive weight-bearing on the hands during tumbling, handstands, and bar work.
- Training volume: The risk rises when young gymnasts train at very high volumes—20 or more hours per week without enough rest and recovery.
Does It Affect Final Height?
The scientific literature does not support the idea that starting gymnastics young automatically damages growth plates or prevents athletes from reaching their adult height. What matters more is training load, nutrition, and injury management.
With proper medical care and rest, growth plate injuries usually heal without long-term consequences.
The Real Risk: Under-Fueling
If growth is delayed, the most common reason is not enough energy intake to match heavy training loads. This condition is called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). In girls, it overlaps with the Female Athlete Triad (low energy availability, menstrual irregularities, and low bone density).
Signs of RED-S can include:
- Unusual fatigue or frequent illness
- Delayed puberty or irregular periods in girls
- Stress fractures or bone injuries
- Mood changes or performance plateaus
With early detection and proper nutrition, these issues are reversible. Left unchecked, they can harm long-term health and development.
Source: PubMed, British Journal of Sports Medicine
What About Boys and Men?
Men’s artistic gymnastics also favors compact, muscular athletes, especially for strength-heavy events like rings and pommel horse.
As with women, the pattern we see in men is mostly a matter of selection and natural variation, not the result of training suppressing growth. Boys who are naturally shorter and stockier often find greater success in gymnastics, so they are more likely to stay in the sport and reach higher levels.
So, does intensive training stunt growth?
Not in a permanent, across-the-board way. The weight of evidence shows no reduction in adult height from gymnastics training itself. Under-fueling can slow growth and delay puberty; address nutrition and recovery, and the body catches up toward its genetic target.
