Many people are unhappy with their height.
But can anything be done about it?
If you've asked this question, you're not alone. Some claim proper nutrition or special exercises can increase your height as an adult.
This article explains whether it is possible to increase your height after the age of 18.
What determines your size?
Before examining whether it is possible to change height as an adult, it is important to examine what determines your height in the first place.
The easy answer is genetics, but that's not all.
Studying twins is one way scientists can determine how genetics influence height (1).
In general, height in twins is highly correlated. This means that if one twin is tall, the other is likely to be tall as well (2).
According to studies of twins, an estimated 60 to 80 percent of the height difference between people is due to genetics (2, 3, 4).
The remaining 20 to 40% is due to environmental factors such as nutrition (5).
Global height trends help demonstrate the importance of nutrition and lifestyle factors.
A huge study of 18,6 million people reported changes in height over the past century.
The study found that in many countries, the average person was taller in 1996 than in 1896 (6).
Improved nutritional intake in these countries could be the cause of this change.
Summary: Scientists estimate that height differences are about 60 to 80 percent due to genetics and 20 to 40 percent due to environmental factors such as nutrition. In many countries, average height has increased over the past century.
For most, height will not increase after age 18
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height will not increase between the ages of 18 and 20.
The chart below shows the growth rate from birth to age 20. As you can see, growth curves drop to zero between the ages of 18 and 20 (7, 8).
The reason your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.
Growth plates, or epiphyseal plates, are areas of specialized cartilage located near the ends of your long bones.
Increases in height are primarily due to the lengthening of your long bones because the growth plates are still active or "open."
Towards the end of puberty, hormonal changes cause growth plates to harden or “close” and bones to stop lengthening (9).
Growth plates close around age 16 in females and between ages 14 and 19 in males (10).
Although true long bone growth does not occur in most adults, slight daily variations in height are typical.
The cause of this variation throughout the day is the slight compression of the discs in your spine (11, 12).
Daily activities impact the cartilage and fluids of the spine and cause slight reductions in height as the day progresses (11, 12, 13).
This loss of height during the day can reach approximately 1,5 cm (14, 15, 16).
Some research has indicated that the height of the discs in your spine may continue to increase during early adulthood, but the impact on overall height is minimal (17).
Summary: For most people, height will not increase after the age of 18 to 20 due to the closure of the growth plates in the bones. Compression and decompression of the discs in your spine causes small changes in height throughout the day.
No exercise or stretching technique can make you taller
A common height myth is that certain exercises or stretching techniques can make you taller.
Many people claim that activities such as hanging, climbing, using an inversion table, and swimming can increase your height.
Unfortunately, there is no valid evidence to support these claims.
It's true that your height varies slightly throughout the day due to compression and decompression of the cartilaginous discs in your spine (12).
By decompressing your discs, some of these activities might temporarily increase your size very slightly (18).
However, this is not a real change in pitch because any change is quickly reversed (12, 13, 19).
Summary: Science does not support exercises and techniques promising to increase your height as an adult. They may cause small, temporary changes in height, but these effects do not last.
Exercise (including weight training) probably won't affect your height
Many people worry that exercise, especially weightlifting, can harm your waistline.
Some of these concerns relate specifically to children and adolescents, whose growth plates have not been closed.
The cartilage in growth plates is weaker than the mature bone that forms in adulthood and could potentially be damaged more easily.
However, most research shows that strength training is safe and beneficial at any age, as long as it is supervised appropriately.
Additionally, studies have shown that weight training before adulthood does not slow growth (20).
Most doctors and sports medicine experts also agree that there is no need to avoid weight training in children and adolescents.
One study asked 500 sports medicine experts whether to avoid strength training until the growth plates closed (21).
85% of experts said there was no need to avoid weightlifting and only 10% thought it was best to avoid weight training.
Additionally, other studies show that weight training injuries are primarily due to lack of supervision or improper use of equipment (22, 23).
In adults, the growth plates have closed and become stronger than during childhood. Therefore, the risk of growth plate damage is not a major concern.
Indeed, weightlifting can cause minor compression of the intervertebral discs in adults. However, this is reversible and also occurs during normal daily activities (13, 16, 19, 24).
Injuries such as herniated discs are a potential cause for concern.
In this case, the size and health of the discs in your spine may be compromised and it is possible that a slight decrease in height may occur (17).
Summary: With proper supervision and technique, strength training is safe for all ages. It does not appear to alter height before or into adulthood. However, disc injuries could cause slight decreases in height.
A Healthy Lifestyle Before Age 18 Can Help You Achieve Your Height
Potential
Although you may not be able to change your height substantially as an adult, there are things you can do to maximize your height potential as a teenager.
Overall, you want to make sure you're eating enough and not lacking any vitamins or minerals.
While many children eat enough (or too much), diet quality is often poor (25).
For this reason, many people in modern society lack important nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium (26).
These nutrients are very important for bone growth and overall health (27, 28).
Calcium in the diet changes hormone production in a way that benefits your bones. Vitamin D may also improve bone health (29, 30).
A great way to combat nutritional deficiencies and promote optimal bone growth is to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables (31, 32).
Eating enough protein is also essential for bone health, although some people have questioned whether high protein intake can harm your bones.
However, a large analysis of 36 studies showed that increased protein consumption was not harmful to bones. In fact, higher protein intake was beneficial for spinal bone density (33).
One way to increase your protein intake is to try to consume at least 20 grams of protein every time you eat.
Eggs, poultry, lean meats and dairy products are good sources of protein. Soy and other legumes are also high in protein.
Although good nutrition during childhood is essential to achieving your greatest height, there can be differences between men and women.
Some research has shown that environmental factors, such as nutrition, may play a greater role in women than in men.
This may be due in part to differences in access to food and medical care or higher rates of osteoporosis among women (34).
Other lifestyle choices, such as not smoking, could also improve your height during development (35).
However, it is important to remember that while lifestyle factors during childhood can influence height, a person's final height is still primarily due to genetics.
Summary: Eating enough and avoiding nutrient deficiencies during childhood and adolescence can help maximize your growth potential.
Certain medical conditions can cause an increase in adult height
Although most adults do not grow taller after age 18 to 20, there are exceptions to this rule.
First, growth plate closure may be delayed in some individuals (36, 37).
If the growth plates remain open after age 18 to 20, which is rare, height could continue to increase.
Second, some suffer from gigantism. This condition causes excessive growth, often due to excessive production of growth hormone (GH) (38).
However, these individuals typically only grow until their growth plates close around age 22 (39).
Additionally, a form of hemochromatosis, a condition in which excess iron is absorbed in the intestines, can also lead to increased height (40).
In general, these conditions could increase height until the growth plates close.
Summary: Some rare medical conditions could cause height to increase after age 18, but this usually only happens if the growth plates are not closed.
What can you do about your height?
If you are an adult dissatisfied with your height, here are some suggestions:
- Practice good posture: Bad posture can rob anyone of a few inches of height.
- Try heels or inserts: Choose shoes with higher heels or place inserts in your shoes to reach a height of a few centimeters.
- Gain Muscle to Look and Feel Stronger: If you feel small, lifting weights to gain muscle can make you more muscular and confident.
While these simple strategies can help, some people resort to more extreme measures, such as medical treatments or procedures.
Many of these procedures involve lengthening the leg bones (41, 42).
However, due to the invasive and expensive nature of these operations, many do not choose such drastic measures. These procedures are even prohibited in some countries.
Others seek growth hormone (GH) treatment. Although GH may improve height in children who are not growing properly, the benefits of this treatment in adults are unlikely (43, 44).
Ultimately, it's recommended that you find a way to accept your size rather than considering more extreme measures.
Summary: There are some simple techniques you can use to make yourself look taller or help you feel better. Some people resort to more invasive medical procedures.
Accept your size
Although you may not be able to increase your height as much as you'd like, there are things you can do to help you accept your current height.
It’s helpful to realize that height isn’t everything.
You can be happy and successful regardless of your stature. In fact, there are many happy, successful people throughout history who were small.
Although some people believe that being short is a psychological disadvantage, scientists question whether this is true (45, 46).
Researchers also suggested using coping strategies and focusing on things other than height (47).
Making a list of your best qualities, physical and non-physical, can help improve your outlook.
Additionally, you can focus on other areas of self-improvement. Losing weight or gaining muscle can give you the confidence boost you're looking for.
Summary: If you want to be taller, perhaps the best thing you can do is learn to accept your current height. Focusing on your strengths and qualities can help you in this process.
The final result
Height is largely determined by genetics, and most people will not grow taller after age 18.
However, proper nutrition during childhood and adolescence can help you maximize your height.
If you're unhappy with your size, you can consider some simple strategies to look and feel better.
These may include good posture, wearing shoe inserts or heels, or lifting weights to gain muscle.
Additionally, focusing on your strengths and other areas of self-improvement can distract you.
Ultimately, you can't change the hand you've been dealt in life, but you can seek to make the most of it.
