Does training affect growth? Answers to common questions.

Abstract

Adolescent athletes may be at risk of restricted growth and delayed maturation when intense training is combined with insufficient energy intake. Because catch-up growth commonly occurs when training is reduced or ceases, final adult stature may not be compromised. However, in athletes who have long-term, clinically delayed maturation, catch-up growth may be incomplete. By charting individual growth patterns, physicians, coaches, and athletic trainers can detect vulnerable periods when the training intensity should be reduced and energy intake may need to be increased.