Does Gymnastics Stunt Your Growth? What Gymnast Parents Need to Know

Does gymnastics stunt your growth? If you’ve ever looked at a lineup of gymnasts at a meet and thought “wow, they’re all SO tiny,” you’re not alone.

Most parents assume their gymnast is small because of all the hours she spends in the gym. They think the training is what stunts a gymnast. What almost nobody thinks about? Underfueling.

As a former gymnast, a judge for 18+ years, and a sports dietitian with specialized training in growth and endocrinology, I’ve seen this question from every angle. And, I’ve seen what’s really going on behind the “she’s just small” comments.

Let’s talk about what I actually see in my practice, what normal growth looks like for a gymnast, and the signs that your gymnast’s growth may be off track.

Does gymnastics stunt your growth? The short answer

No. Gymnastics, by itself, does NOT stunt growth.

Training, flipping, and landing don’t keep a well-fueled gymnast from reaching her genetic height potential.

Here’s the thing, though. What CAN slow growth is not eating enough to support training. When a gymnast is underfueled, her body has to prioritize. Getting through practice and keeping her alive come first. Growing, developing, and building bone get pushed to the back of the line.

The good news? Underfueling is something we can fix. And when gymnasts catch up on fuel, they often catch up on growth too.

Why are gymnasts so short?

If gymnastics doesn’t stunt growth, why are so many gymnasts petite?

Mostly, it comes down to who STAYS in the sport. Smaller, compact bodies have an easier time with a lot of skills, so smaller kids tend to keep moving up the levels. Gymnastics doesn’t make them small. Small kids often stay in gymnastics.

Genetics plays the biggest role in how tall your gymnast will be. Your pediatrician can estimate her “mid-parental height,” a target range based on both parents’ heights. That range tells you WAY more than the gymnast standing next to her on the podium does.

And, there’s more room at the top than people think. Nastia Liukin is 5’4″, Svetlana Khorkina is 5’5″, and Kyla Ross is 5’7″. Taller gymnasts can (and do!) excel, especially with how much power the code rewards now.

Think about it. Most families don’t put their kids in gymnastics expecting them to be small and stay that way. So when a gymnast hits a growth spurt, it often surprises people. It shouldn’t! There are tall gymnasts at every level, and they can absolutely be successful.

The timing of a growth spurt depends on genetics AND on whether she’s getting enough energy. More on that in a minute.

Related: 8 Truths About the Gymnast Body

What normal growth looks like for a gymnast

Growing gymnasts are SUPPOSED to gain height and weight every year. This is a normal (and necessary!) part of development.

Age / stage	Height	Weight
Ages 9–12	about 2.5 in per year	about 5–7 lb per year
Puberty growth spurt	up to 3–3.5 in per year	15–40+ lb across the teen years

Most girls get their first period between 12 and 14, and reach their adult height 1–2 years after that. The years around her first period are also when she builds the most bone, and that bone has to last her a lifetime.

Now, I’m not saying you need to compare your gymnast to these numbers every month. What matters most is how she’s tracking along HER OWN growth curve. A gymnast who has always been on the 15th percentile and stays there is likely growing just fine. A gymnast who drops from the 50th to the 15th needs a closer look.

More detail: The High-Level Gymnast and Puberty: Part 1 and Episode 12: Growth Spurts 101 for the Female Gymnast

What actually stunts growth in gymnasts: underfueling

Gymnasts need a LOT of energy. Just keeping her body running at rest takes about 1,400–1,800 calories a day. Then a single practice can burn another 450–1,200+ calories on top of that.

That’s a big gap to fill, and most families don’t realize how big. A 9-year-old Level 4–5 training 15–20 hours a week, or an 11-year-old Level 7–8, can easily come up short without anyone trying to restrict anything. She grabs a granola bar on the way to the gym, eats dinner at 9pm, and it just isn’t enough.

The reality is, this is VERY common. Of the three Level 6–8+ gymnasts I shared as case studies in this year’s PreSeason Challenge, two were underfueled.

When there isn’t enough fuel, the body triages. This is called low energy availability, and over time it can turn into RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Growth, puberty, and bone building are some of the first things to slow down.

This is why delayed puberty isn’t caused by gymnastics alone. It’s caused by not eating enough for the training. And, delayed puberty is NOT a good thing for a gymnast. It means fewer bone-building years and a higher risk of growth-plate injuries and stress fractures.

Here’s how I explain it to families: if your gymnast isn’t growing, she’s not fully repairing or recovering either. Growth is one of the clearest signs her body has enough fuel to do its job.

More detail: The High-Level Gymnast and Puberty: Part 2 and Acute vs Chronic Under-fueling

Signs your gymnast’s growth may be off track

A gymnast can be underfueled at ANY weight, shape, or size, even if “she’s always been small.” Healthy does not automatically mean adequate.

Watch for:

• Falling off her growth curve (dropping percentiles for height or weight)
• Height below the 3rd percentile, or more than 2 inches below her mid-parental height range
• No breast development by 12–13, or no period by 15
• Growth-plate injuries, stress fractures, or OCD (osteochondritis dissecans) in a joint
• Always exhausted at practice, slow to recover, or getting sick a lot (see why your gymnast is so tired at practice)

If you’re seeing any of these, ask your pediatrician to plot her growth over the last few years. A bone age X-ray and a sports dietitian who knows gymnastics can help you figure out the rest.

Case study: “She’s just small”

One gymnast came to us at 12, training Level 9. Her growth was way off track, and she was dealing with OCD in a joint. Everyone around her assumed she was just a small kid.

She wasn’t eating enough for her training. Once we got her fueled, she started growing again and caught up.

Today, she’s thriving. She made it to Nationals her first year of Level 10, she’s well positioned to be recruited for a D1 full ride at a top 10 school, and she’s grown. And no one is freaking out about it.

Details changed to protect the gymnast’s privacy.

How to help your gymnast grow (and what doesn’t work)

So what actually helps a gymnast grow? It’s not fancy, but it works.

• Enough TOTAL food for her training. “Healthy” isn’t the same as “enough.” A perfect plate of grilled chicken and salad can still leave a gymnast way short.
• Fuel in and around practice. A real snack before practice and fuel after keeps her from running on empty. Think of snacks as “mini meals,” not a single packet of fruit snacks. One of my favorites: a PB banana sandwich and a yogurt drink.
• Watch HER curve. Ask for her growth chart at every checkup and look at the trend, not just one number.
• Get help early. Catching this at 11 is SO much easier than at 15.

And here’s what I see families try that DOESN’T fix the root cause:

• Random supplements (vitamin D, creatine, tart cherry juice, protein powder, peptides, etc.)
• Eating “cleaner”
• More PT, more training, or more private lessons
• Time off by itself. Some underfueled gymnasts suddenly grow during an injury or a break, but if her fueling doesn’t change, the problem comes right back when she returns.
• Waiting it out

Listen: Does Gymnastics Stunt Growth? (Podcast Episode 94)

I did a whole podcast episode on this one. Some providers will give you a flippant response like, “gymnastics stunts their growth but it’s fine, they’ll catch up when they quit.” But not growing and developing while in gymnastics should be a big red flag for underfueling.

In the episode, you’ll hear about:

• Normal genetic factors in a gymnast’s height vs signs of underfueling
• What causes gymnasts to fall short on height (is it all the pounding?)
• Why it’s not as simple as “they’ll grow when they quit”

Want to dig into the research? Here’s a review on the role of intensive training in the growth and maturation of artistic gymnasts.

FAQ: Gymnastics and growth

Does gymnastics stunt growth in boys?

The same rule applies to male gymnasts. Training alone doesn’t stop growth, but underfueling can. We work with male gymnasts too! Learn more about our program for male gymnasts.

Will my gymnast be short because she started gymnastics young?

No. Her genetics set her height range, and starting young doesn’t change that when she’s well fueled.

Can a gymnast catch up on growth?

Often, yes, especially when underfueling is caught before her growth plates close. Most girls reach adult height 1–2 years after their first period, so the earlier the better.

Does conditioning or strength training stunt growth?

No. Supervised strength training doesn’t stunt growth. Strength plus enough food builds muscle and power.

Should I worry if my gymnast hasn’t started her period?

If she has no breast development by 12–13 or no period by 15, talk to her pediatrician. It’s also worth taking a hard look at her fueling.

Want help making sure your gymnast is fueled to grow?

Not sure if your gymnast is getting enough fuel to grow? Start with the free Gymnast Fueling Quiz. It takes just a few minutes and shows you where her fueling may be falling short.

Already know you want help? The Balanced Gymnast® Program is our 1:1 program for competitive gymnasts and their parents. We look at her growth, fueling, labs, and training to get her healthy, growing, and performing her best. Learn more about The Balanced Gymnast® Program.