Can Playing Basketball Make You Taller?

Can playing basketball make you taller? This is a question that many people have been asking themselves for years. I want to address this question by providing scientific reasoning and debunking some misconceptions. First, let’s talk about the misconception about whether or not basketball can help improve your height.

Debunking the Myth

According to the website NBA Players, “There is no evidence that playing basketball can increase your height.” Some might believe it can help improve your height, but there is no scientific evidence to support the claim (NBA Players).

However, we do believe there are many benefits of basketball for kids. For example, it encourages them to be active and healthy while also building their athletic skills.

So what should we focus on if we want to become taller? Let us Find Out!

Into the Science

For the Kids

Now let’s talk about science! The simple answer is yes; playing basketball does make you taller. However, this statement is a bit misleading because there are two main reasons why playing basketball can make you taller, in the case of kids.

The first reason is the height-weight ratio; the heavier someone becomes, the more likely they will lose height as they age (due to loss of cartilage). This means that younger players who do not have significant muscle mass, or who are still growing into their bodies, will gain height.

The second reason is the bones in your feet and ankles grow when you play basketball. This not only makes your calves larger but also increases bone growth at a faster rate than usual (kind of like weight-lifting).

According to another article from NBA Players, “When you are younger, your body is still growing. Therefore it is important that young basketball players continuously train throughout their teens to increase height.”

The final point I want to address with evidence is the fact that playing basketball does improve your vertical leap and balance (two things needed for jumping).

However, according to a study from ExRx.net, “Vertical jump height declines after about age 25 because of a loss in elasticity and smooth muscle tissue.” In other words, you will be able to jump higher when you are younger.

For the Adults

In the case of adults, there are some major differences in terms of how playing basketball can make you taller. The first reason is if an adult still has their cartilage, they will not grow anymore.

Thus, adults who play basketball for too long might lose the height that they already have due to muscle growth restricting their cartilage from reaching its full potential.

The second reason is that adults are already at their full height. So based on the second point, playing basketball does not make you taller for your age group – it might even make you shorter!

So should I play basketball? Absolutely! It’s a great way to keep yourself healthy and active while also exercising important movements like leaping, balancing, etc. If you are not in your teens or twenties, I would recommend playing for short periods to avoid losing the height that you already have.

Can I play Basketball if I am Shorter than an NBA Player?

The average height of an NBA Player is about six feet, seven inches tall. Hence, if you are anything below six feet we would recommend not pursuing a career in basketball. The reason is that as a shorter individual, it will be harder for you to score and rebound the ball due to your size.

Thus, if you are shorter than six feet tall we would recommend finding other ways to stay active and healthy.

However, if you are a teen or even an adult and want to play for fun, go ahead! You can still benefit from the physical activity of playing basketball while also enjoying it as a recreational sport.

Basketball Can Make You Shorter!

Yes, it’s true! Playing basketball, past puberty can cause you to lose height! The overall mechanics of basketball are very similar to the ones used in jumping. Thus, during puberty kids grow rapidly because their bones are still growing and developing. Once past puberty bone growth slows down significantly.

But playing basketball it could cause your body’s cartilage to stop growing as well thus slowing down how much taller you can grow.

Playing basketball will not make you taller after puberty because your bone growth already stopped, so playing basketball will only cause you to lose the height that you have!

So yes basketball can make someone shorter than they were before!! Basketball can also lead to back problems and knee injuries which are all reasons why people lose height too.

Can I Increase my Height in Any Other Way?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is no. While there are many things in life that might slightly affect your height, such as nutrition and genetics, basketball cannot help you grow taller through adulthood. You can, however, train your children to enjoy basketball so they stay active and healthy throughout their lives!

Nutrition

As previously mentioned, nutrition is one of the factors that might affect your height throughout adulthood. According to the website Can I Grow, “Poor nutrition or a lack of important vitamins and minerals can increase the risk of becoming shorter as you grow older.”

In other words, if your body is not getting all of its nutrients from food during childhood and adolescence (when people are growing), then it will not have the proper energy to complete the process of growing taller.

Instead of focusing on basketball, focus on eating properly and getting all the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy! You will feel better throughout the day if you can play sports like basketball without feeling hungry or tired.

Genetics

There is also evidence that genetics can affect your height; if you are born with genes for short stature, then it will be more difficult to grow taller even through basketball (or anything else).

If this sounds like you or someone in your family has a history of being shorter than average as an adult, then you should probably not play basketball so you do not lose what height your body already has.

Stretching and Posture could help!

The website Healthy Living suggests stretching exercises as a way to increase height. They also recommend wearing shoes that fit properly and not slouching down when you’re sitting or standing up straight (Healthy Living).

Conclusion

Playing basketball can increase your height during childhood and adolescence, but it might decrease your height as an adult. If you are thinking about how to become taller in adulthood, I would recommend consulting a doctor or nutritionist instead of going through the trouble of finding out if basketball will affect your height.

Thanks for reading our blog post about whether or not playing basketball makes you taller! I hope that the scientific reasoning was useful in forming an argument as well as debunking some misconceptions about if basketball can help improve height. Please feel free to leave any comments and questions below.