Last updated on October 1, 2024
Question:
Greetings,
I am nearly 14. I am really concerned about my height and weight. I am 80 kg at 5’7. My estimated body fat is 30%. My tanner score is 4.1-4.3. My dad is 5’6, and my mum is 5’2.
I have researched this topic extensively, but I couldn’t find any reliable information. I want to maximize my height and growth, so I am asking you this question: Should I lower my calorie intake or just eat 2000-3000 calories for maintenance?
Answer:
You are about 8-9 kg overweight. You’ve just entered stage 4, so you have up to another 1 to 2 inches to grow. Since you are still growing, you don’t want to diet severely. Instead, try to reduce your calories by about 500 calories per day. In other words, if you are used to eating three meals and several snacks each day, cut out the sugary, salt-laden snacks. If you are hungry, limit yourself to some fruit. If you are used to eating two helpings of food at dinner, cut back to just one helping. If that isn’t enough to fill you up, allow extra helpings of the vegetables. If you drink sugary drinks, switch to plain water.
In addition, start finding ways to be more active. Walk more, ride a bicycle, swim, etc. The more muscles you build, the easier it will be for you to maintain your weight.
Question:
- I hit my protein intake regularly.
- I do resistance training five times a week.
- I don’t eat junk food or sugar regularly, only on special occasions.
My questions:
- Is intermittent fasting a good option for someone in my growth phase?
- Wouldn’t a caloric deficit negatively impact my growth?
- Is a lean bulk a better option for me?
- I’ve heard that excess body fat can convert testosterone to estrogen, which might lead to quicker growth plate closure. What are your thoughts on this?
- If lowering my weight is beneficial, is going on a larger deficit of 1000 calories for 1-2 months a bad idea, even if I consume all the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients?
Thank you for your guidance. I look forward to your response.
Answer:
There is little evidence that intermittent fasting works for growing teenagers. [Jomanah A. Bakhsh, “Intermittent Fasting in Youth: A Scoping Review,” National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2024].
A severe calorie deficit can negatively impact growth in two ways: it limits the amount of energy available when needed and possibly causes a lack of essential nutrients because of the more limited food intake. However, a slight calorie deficit won’t impact your growth. Most sources recommend keeping the deficit around 500 calories per day. This is easier to sustain and won’t impact your growth. After reaching full adulthood, you can consider intermittent dieting or restricting your calories more.
If you are an athlete who burns many calories, lean bulking is a way to replace the nutrients you’ve used up during your off-seasons without putting on too much body fat. But lean bulking will increase your body fat if you don’t fall in that category — perhaps not as fast, but it will still increase.
Yes, body fat does convert some androgens, including testosterone, into estrogens. [Hyun-Ki Lee, “The Role of Androgen in the Adipose Tissue of Males,” National Library of Medicine, 31 August 2013]. And yes, excess estrogen speeds up the growth plate closure in males. [Martina Weise, “Effects of estrogen on growth plate senescence and epiphyseal fusion,” 29 May 2001]. Some estrogen is needed, but too much can have a negative impact.