Do Guys Grow Until 25? – When Do They Stop?
The age that guys stop growing has been debated over centuries. This is in relation to mental, physical, and emotional growth.
Although everybody is different, there is a baseline that most guys follow. In this article we are going to explore when guys actually stop growing.
Puberty
Guys hit puberty after girls do. Puberty typically begins around age 11. However, physical changes become evident around 13.
This is when their voice begins to crack. Furthermore, guy’s muscles get larger. Boys typically grow 2-3.2 inches per year.
Boys usually end puberty at around 15 years of age. Height slows down significantly. However, muscles may still be growing.
Puberty typically lasts between 2 to 5 years. Spending more time in puberty doesn’t mean that you’ll grow more than someone else.
Height
More often than not, guys lie about their height. Many do so without even realizing it. It is not uncommon for a guy to add a couple of extra inches.
Furthermore, this is common practice on online dating profiles. Men presume that a girl is more likely to swipe right on taller guys.
Therefore, many guys stress for a majority of their time in puberty. It seems that no height is tall enough. What age do guys actually stop getting taller?
The biggest growth spurt is from 12 to 15. Most guys reach their peak height at 16. It’s unlikely that you will grow any taller after the age of 18. However, males continue to develop in other ways.
There are rare cases where men hit puberty very late. In such instances they can continue to grow in their early twenties.
There are many factors that affect height. Genetics is the key determinant. Research suggests that 80% of height is based on genetics.
There are also external factors that affect height. For instance, nutrition plays a key role. Accordingly, deficiencies in minerals can stunt growth. This is especially true for vitamins A and D.
Sleep is another important factor. This is because your body produces growth hormone whilst you’re sleeping. Thus, getting an adequate amount of sleep can affect how tall you grow.
Some studies have shown that medication can affect height. For example, common ADHD medication can delay growth. However, this requires some more research.
Health conditions also have an affect on height. The majority of these are pre-existing. However, they can also develop during childhood. A guy’s average height is 5 ft. 9 in the United States.
Influencing Your Height
Unfortunately, there’s very little you can do to influence your height once you’ve peaked. Many people think that eating healthy and doing exercise can help. However, there is no research to support this.
Improving your posture can help you appear taller. However, this doesn’t actually make you grow. There are a lot of ways to do this. For instance, you can stretch. Furthermore, regular exercise can also help.
Interestingly, your height changes throughout the day. You’re slightly taller in the morning. Research shows that this is by about 0.3 inches.
Body Type
Boys begin to show physical changes in puberty. Significant changes happen during the mid-teens. The typical growth spurt is 2 years after a girl’s.
There are three different body types. They are called endomorphs, mesomorphs, ectomorphs. Endomorphs have an “hourglass” type figure.
Mesomorphs have a naturally athletic build. Guy’s with this body type see changes quickly. However, they gain weight quickly. Therefore, it is important to eat healthy.
Ectomorphs are naturally lean. These guys find it difficult to gain weight. Working out a lot may result in a lot of weight loss. This is not always ideal.
Muscle is something that is malleable. Men are typically able to gain and lose muscle with a proper routine.
Research suggests that muscle mass peaks at 40 years old. Therefore, regular exercise and a good diet can have a huge positive effect.
Muscle mass slowly begins to decrease after age 40. However, lack of exercise and poor nutrition make this happen more rapidly.
Long bones stop growing in the late teens or early twenties. Usually this is around 21 years of age. However, it’s a couple years earlier for females. This is called epiphyseal plate closure.
This is when cartilage cells stop dividing. The cartilage is then replaced by bone
Mental Maturity
It’s no secret that girls mature faster than boys. This is true physically and mentally. The developmental gap is credited to the evolutionary process.
Boys eventually catch up to girls. This happens by late high school. Both males and females don’t finish brain development until the age of 25.
Most of the changes in thought processing occur in the late teenage years. However, the frontal part continues to develop. This is what controls judgment.
Conclusion
Research suggests that most men’s physical growth stops when they are in their late teens. However, men continue to mentally mature until they are 25.
There are some external factors that may influence growth. Nonetheless, genetics is the key deciding factor.
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