Last updated on January 31, 2024
Question:
I’m currently around 15 1/2. My Tanner stage is around 3.4-3.8. My height is around 184-185 cm (~6’1). I want to increase my potential height. Would fasting help increase or decrease it? Some studies show that fasting increases testosterone and HGH, so I’m wondering if it can increase or decrease potential height.
If it does indeed help potential height, how often should I fast, and for how much? So, will fasting for one full day every week help increase potential height by a decent margin (1 cm or more)? Or would I need to fast more?
Answer:
Pushing the gas pedal in a car all the way to the floor will not make you go faster if you don’t have gas in the tank. Hormones are what trigger growth, but they are not the building blocks for growth. For actual growth, you need food.
I found the study that people are referring to. “Six normal healthy male volunteers (ages 21-36 yr) of normal body weight (BMI 21.8-28.0 kg/m2) were studied” [Kian Y Ho, “Fasting Enhances Growth Hormone Secretion and Amplifies the Complex Rhythms of Growth Hormone Secretion in Man,” The American Society for Clinical Investigations, Vol. 81, April 1988, p. 968-975]. Notice that this study was done on adult men, not teenagers during adolescence. Here the interest is in growth hormones for tissue repair and muscle building, Teenage boys interested in height have different concerns.
“There is not enough evidence in humans to recommend intermittent fasting at this time. There have been no studies in children and, current studies in adults lack long-term intervention and follow-up period. Intermittent fasting is not recommended for those in periods of rapid growth, such as children and adolescents” [“Intermittent Fasting: Is it Safe for Kids?“, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, 16 November 2022].
Your potential height is controlled by your genetics. Eating healthy, avoiding junk food, and eating a variety of foods will give your body the best set of building materials to grow your body.
Question:
Got it. So fasting can even potentially decrease what height I could’ve been instead?
Answer:
The most precise answer is: We don’t know. We do know that too little nutrition will decrease height. What we don’t know is how much or how long. The body is able to recover from short setbacks, such as from an illness. However, not much is known about frequent setbacks. If you want to try intermittent fasting, wait until you’ve reached your full adult body.
Response:
Alright. Thanks!