Growing taller is not a dream for young children. Diet and exercise can help them grow taller.

Chinese-American basketball star Jeremy Lin is not only nearly 200 cm tall, but his "Linsanity" whirlwind is also the pride of Taiwanese people. Doctors point out that having a child who grows tall and strong is the dream of many parents. In fact, in order for adolescents to grow and develop, in addition to supplementing with more high-protein foods, they should also increase the intensity of their daily exercise to stimulate bone growth and supplement growth hormone to make the dream of "being superior to others" come true.

Understand the key growth period of young children, supplement growth hormone, and make the dream of "being superior to others" come true.

Dr. Lin Junsong, director of the General Pediatrics Department at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, pointed out that if a child is not tall, genetic factors must be taken into consideration, because 70% of a child’s height is influenced by the genes of his parents. Usually, the bone age of boys over 16 years old and that of girls over 14 years old will no longer grow, so it is very important to supplement nutrition moderately, exercise, and effectively grasp the golden treatment period.

The secret to growing taller: a high-protein diet

In terms of diet, clinical studies have confirmed that children with high protein intake can develop better height, because these foods can stimulate the secretion of growth hormone, help supplement the nutrients needed by children during their development, and help them grow taller. Animal protein foods, especially animal protein foods, including shrimp, fish, chicken breast, and eggs, are rich in amino acids, which have a positive effect on bone growth.

Stimulates growth cells, aerobic exercise bonus

Dr. Lin Junsong said that growth hormone is a hormone that mainly stimulates growth and cell regeneration. When the body exercises regularly and for a long time, it can promote the secretion of growth hormone. The intensity, duration and amount of muscle used in exercise may directly or indirectly affect the secretion of growth hormone, which can significantly enhance the growth of muscles and bones. The best exercise recommendation is to exercise at least three times a week, which can be divided into light, moderate and intense exercise according to the maximum heart rate achieved by the exercise category.

1. Mild exercise: At a mild exercise intensity, the body will begin to burn fat and accelerate the metabolic rate, which can help speed up the heart rate and make muscle tissue grow.

2. Moderate exercise: When performing moderate exercise, because a larger oxygen supply system is required, muscles will release adrenaline into the blood, which can stimulate the secretion of serotonin and adrenaline.

3. Intense exercise: When you engage in intense exercise, it means that your heart rate is close to your maximum, your metabolism will switch from aerobic mode to anaerobic mode, and the pituitary gland will release growth hormone.

Regular exercise habits induce growth hormone

Developing a habit of regular exercise can not only increase dopamine concentrations, but the released growth hormone can also help children grow taller. Depending on the type of sport, the duration of exercise is also different. Light and moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or skipping rope, is recommended to be performed more than 5 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time. For intense exercise, it is recommended to choose appropriate resistance exercise, such as aerobic exercise for more than 40 minutes each time. Jumping exercises, such as skipping rope, with a jumping frequency of between 60 and 120 times per minute, as well as sprint exercises such as swimming and sprinting, can stimulate the greatest "exercise-induced growth hormone response", allowing for immediate and obvious secretion of growth hormone.

Get enough sleep and get plenty of sun exposure, your hair will grow an inch taller every night

Although 70% of a child's height is influenced by genetics, there is still a 30% chance that it can be achieved through acquired efforts. Dr. Lin Junsong reminds us that in addition to a balanced diet, supplementation of specific nutrients, and the habit of continuous moderate-intensity exercise to stimulate the secretion of growth hormone, eight hours of continuous sleep and adequate sun exposure are also very important ways to help children grow taller.

In particular, the "bone transition period" of ordinary children is around puberty, with an average age of 10 to 12 years old, until 16 or 17 years old. However, many children in Taiwan stay up late to study in order to enter higher education, which is not good for their growth, because the secretion of human growth hormone reaches its peak between 11 pm and 2 am, which is about 7.5 times that of the body when awake. The saying "one inch bigger every night" makes sense.

【Doctor's reminder】:

Healthy growth includes both physical and mental growth. Parents should avoid overemphasizing that short stature is a disadvantage and should establish healthy concepts and self-confidence in children. Regardless of whether the height of the child in the family is taller or shorter than that of classmates of the same age, it is recommended to take the child to the pediatric endocrinology department or the pediatric metabolism department clinic in the second grade of elementary school (before the age of 7) and ask a professional doctor to evaluate the child's final height so as to grasp the best golden growth period.