Does Playing Basketball Make You Taller – Rising Above the Rim

It’s a widely held belief that playing basketball can make you taller, which motivates many aspiring athletes to take up the sport in the hopes of experiencing a growth spurt. But does this claim hold any merit?

We will examine the connection between playing basketball and height growth in this article to sort out fact from fiction. We will examine the determinants of height, the role of genetics, and the impact of physical activity, such as basketball. Basketball has many advantages for overall health and fitness, but we’ll explore the truth about how it affects height and offer tips for maximizing your potential growth.

So let’s put on our sneakers and investigate the intriguing relationship between basketball and height.

Is There Any Real Evidence That Says Playing Basketball Makes You Taller?

In the NBA, players are typically 6’7″ tall. In comparison to the typical height of a male American, that is 10 inches taller. I searched and searched and discovered that there are no precise studies on whether basketball increases height; rather, there are only ways to help you fully utilize your genetics and growth potential.

There is some research floating around the internet that claims that jumping continuously activates growth hormones and sends signals to the brain. Increasing blood flow to the legs and spine, which in turn stimulates the growth plates that lead to an increase in height.

The anaerobic movements and jumping involved in a basketball game, according to science, can cause you to grow taller by a few inches. It enables the body to grow by allowing the pituitary gland to release more growth hormones into the body.

In volleyball, height advantage is important, and players who can sacrifice just a little bit of skill and still be dominant over a player with more skill who is a few inches shorter. I don’t know if volleyball made them tall, but if I had to guess, they were already tall when they were playing.

We’re talking about a player with a longer lever, which entails reaching and exerting more force to get to the ball. Being taller also means that the player doesn’t need to jump as high because they are already at the net and prepared to jump. Since when did a player under six feet tall get recruited to play volleyball, unless he was the setter?

It’s actually a shame that the vast majority of information about how one grows taller or anything else that may be necessary to maximize growth in a person is obscured by the plethora of websites and advertisements for growth-increasing miracle drugs and programs. Simply twisting the simple truth and applying what the customer wants to hear, with no scientific support.

There must be some kind of direct correlation since many people believe NBA players to be tall. In sports, particularly basketball, tall people do, in fact, have an advantage over shorter people. If you have two players with identical skill sets, but one of them is 3 inches taller than the other, the taller player will win the job or position.

Why Are Basketball Players Usually So Tall?

Genetic makeup is the single most important determinant of eventual height. You have a great chance of getting taller as you age if both of your parents are tall. Also true is the opposite.

This is evident when we consider the Muggsy Bogues from our earlier example. Both Muggsy’s mother and father are extremely short, standing only 4 feet 11 inches and 5 feet 5 inches, respectively. Muggsy is only 5 feet 3 inches tall, primarily due to genetics.

Shaquille O’Neal would be an option. His enormous height was also largely a result of genetics. His mother is 6 feet 2 inches tall and his father is 6 feet 1 inch. Due to his eventual height of over 7 feet, Shaq significantly outgrew both of his parents.

Manute Bol, a former NBA center who grew to be 7 feet 7 inches tall, is another excellent example of how genetics can affect a person’s height. Bol was born into an exceptionally tall Sudanese family. In comparison to his father, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall, his mother is 6 feet 10 inches.

How Can We Grow Taller Then?

There are some things that, according to common sense, can be helpful if you are in that stage of growth. Some of the information may be familiar to you, but it may be helpful to be reminded of it again so you remember that you really only need to maintain it for a few years before you exit the growth phase.

Sleep – It’s crucial to get your eight hours a day when you’re growing taller. Avoid staying up late playing video games and only getting four hours of sleep before going to school. The importance of sleep and rest can be attributed to the fact that you grow when you do so.

Healthy Diet – Avoid putting anything into your body that is unhealthy for you to eat or to do physically. Since the study below indicated that eggs aid in young children’s growth and prevent stunting, I would continue to consume a lot of eggs. Just in case, abstain from drinking, smoking, and even coffee.

Exercise – Play a lot of basketball, jump up and down a lot, and stretch every day to keep your muscles loose, as we already discussed in the article. Your bones get stronger by playing basketball, in fact.

Genetics – Sadly, genetics are out of our control, but you can still try to take advantage of the above-mentioned strategies to grow as tall as you possibly can.

Other products on the market promise to make one taller, but they cost thousands of dollars and require risky and complicated surgeries. Many athletes would be on board with it if it were a good idea. Your life, lower limbs, and the recovery process are not worth it. I therefore won’t even bother.

Read More: Best Basketball Shoes for Wide Feet

At What Age Do People Usually Stop Growing?

Boys typically continue to grow until the age of 19, while most girls reach their full height by the age of 17. It should be noted that this is only a generalization and that there are some exceptions. Some individuals stop growing earlier, while others reach their full height later in life.

An outstanding example of this is Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. When Pippen graduated from high school, he was only 6 feet 1 inch tall; however, by the time he received his degree from the University of Central Arkansas, he was 6 feet 8 inches tall. This only serves to demonstrate that not all boys continue to grow after they turn 19.

Dennis Rodman, one of the greatest rebounders of all time, is another illustration of a late-bloomer in terms of height. When he began high school, Rodman was only 5 feet 6 inches tall, and even at age 19, he was only 5 feet 9 inches.

For Rodman, that was the turning point. He grew 10 inches taller over the course of one summer, reaching a height of 6 feet 7 inches. Rodman’s life’s course was completely altered by that one growth spurt.

Final Verdict

Finally, we can assert that NBA players’ height is probably not a result of their participation in the sport. In actuality, they should be playing basketball because of their height, not the other way around. The fact that you won’t necessarily grow taller if you play basketball. I anticipate hearing from you.