Body height loss - General running

Henstooth

19/06/2011 at 17:05

In all seriousness - does running cause you to shrink in height? I ask as I always remember being measured at 5'11 and a bit (the bit is important!), and it was noticed by my mother last weekend that I had in fact shrunk in comparison to my dad and my brother. I was always taller than them. (sulks) I am aware that with age, apparently we shrink, but given that dad is older than me, he'd further shrink and I'd remain taller than him - relatively speaking. My mum then said, in an 'I told you' sort of way - "it's all because of that running you do. You've compressed your bones". I'd like to know if there could be any truth to this - Oh! and no jokes about it stunting my growth!.

Sussex Runner (NLR)

19/06/2011 at 17:14

I'm always being told I look too thin by my mum especially when I'm in really good shape. I believe there can be a temporary loss in height after a long run but you soon return back to normal.

Maxpower North West

19/06/2011 at 17:18

Did you stop wearing heels?

Higs

19/06/2011 at 17:28

It doesn't stunt your growth.

It make you blind.

Henstooth

19/06/2011 at 17:46

Now this has degenerated into playground humor (I knew it) . I was always told that my palms would get hairy, but seriously - back to the height issue. I'm not too worried as I love running and won't stop (yes I said running - nothing else) but my family now wind me up - especially my mum who always said I'd pay for it when I get older (the running that is)!

cold war kid

19/06/2011 at 17:59

I've never heard of it.

Non runners believe all sorts of nonsense about what running is supposed to do to you.

The only thing I believe now is it knackers your knee up.

kittenkat

pirate

19/06/2011 at 18:03

Did you get a haircut?

tricialitt

19/06/2011 at 18:12

"you've compressed your bones"- well, I suppose that it's possible you have a few vertebral compression fractures, but seems unlikely (your a bloke, to start with, and osteoporotic collapse is a condition commonest in elderly women). Seriously though, if you have genuinely lost a significant amount of height, that could be an explanation, otherwise, could it just be a posture thing?

Sussex Runner (NLR)

19/06/2011 at 19:11

Apprrently running reduces your manhood!!!

M.ister W

20/06/2011 at 08:37

Running does make you shorter but only temporarily. After a marathon you'll be a couple of cm shorter than when you started but you very quickly regain that height after you stop. I think it's due to the impact compressing the discs in your spine, which recover when you stop pounding them.

sebbie

20/06/2011 at 09:34

Loss of height with age is usually due to loss of intevertebral space from disc compression or compression fractures resulting in kyphosis. Both are usually pretty painfully and you'd know about it. I agree it's like to be a posture issue or you were never actually taller in the first place

(And 'the bit' is much more important when, like me, you are 5' 1" and a bit )

Kryten

pirate

20/06/2011 at 10:52

You can lose as much as an inch quite quickly from a heavy weight lifting session. Then if you hang from a pull-up bar for a while you can stretch your spine out again and get your inch back.

Try it, its fun! Shorter, taller, shorter, taller!

Actually being serious, hanging from a bar and stretching your spine is very good for the health of your back.

MrsK8

20/06/2011 at 11:03

Apparently from 30, you start shrinking. I'm short enough without having to worry about losing more height!

People who don't 'understand' running will also pick fault with it. I heard the other day on TV, some woman at a cosmetic surgery company blame running for causing someone's face to drop/effect the collagen or something?!

With regards to the scientific nature behind it, I have no idea but as long as you're enjoying it & don't mind the apparent height-loss (wtf), then ignore the negative comments.

Wilkie

20/06/2011 at 11:09

Non-runners (non-exercisers) do like try and put runners/exercisers off.

It makes them feel better about not doing any exercise themselves if they can find a good reason why THEY don't do anything.

I doubt if running is really making you shorter - we do just shrink a bit during the day, then get it back overnight.

Get someone to measure you properly, then you can decide if you really have lost any height.

Henstooth

21/06/2011 at 10:45

Right - action plan. Measure myself in the morning, at noon and at night - before a run, after a run and after a spell of hanging from the doorframe. I'm going to have pencil marks up the wall ALL OVER THE PLACE (LOL). Reminds me of when my mum used to do this when we were kids (the measuring and marking bit - not hanging us from the doorframes!!). I'm getting itchy feet now and the weather is fine so I'm off to measure myself and hit the cross country route for a 10 miler! Watch this space for a measurement update...

Henstooth

04/07/2011 at 05:14

To save all arguement - I measured my height before and after three individual runs that I've done this last week, a 7, an 11 and a 6.2 mile. I can assure you all that I have lost NO MORE HEIGHT ( I was dreading the prospect that after another 1000 miles I might be down to being 5 foot!). It would appear that I am just shrinking with age. I am resigned to the fact that I am actually , chronologically, 43 years of age, and not what I thought I was mentally - still 18! Ho Hum. (PS - my sights going too - so it might actually be true....what they say you know!!)

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