Thread: Growth

no not true

no true

this should clear it up for ya

Doesn't weightlifting "stunt" your growth and lead to terrible injuries?

There is no evidence that participation in the sport of weightlifting hampers an athlete's growth in any way. Sports governing bodies in Eastern Europe (where hundreds of thousands of athletes have competed in weightlifting for many years) have studied the growth patterns of weightlifters versus non-weightlifters and have not discovered any difference. Scientists and medical professionals have postulated that strenuous training by young people might affect their growth adversely, but little scientific evidence of this has not been developed - certainly not in the context of rational training programs conducted under careful supervision.

With respect to injuries overall, weightlifting is as strenuous sport, and any strenuous sport can cause injuries. But the injuries that are normally attributable to weightlifting have little basis in fact (e.g., hernias are rare among weightlifters). Injuries that do occur are generally overuse injuries (e.g., tendinitis) which can occur in any sport in which athletes attempt to progress in their training too rapidly.

The serious kinds of injuries that are often associated with other more popular sports, such as deaths and spinal chord injuries, are virtually unknown in weightlifting (no, weightlifters do not normally drop weights on their heads). Overall, the risks of weightlifting are grossly exaggerated by the general public. When weightlifting is properly supervised it is a very safe activity relative to other strenuous sports.