Can Playing Volleyball Increase Your Height?

Escrito por: Jelly Jabla

18 de octubre de 2023

Tiempo de lectura 4 min

If you’ve ever met a professional volleyball player in person, then you’ve probably noticed how tall they are. The average height of a professional volleyball player ranges from 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet 5 inches for women and 6 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 10 inches for men.

It makes you wonder if they were specifically scouted due to their height or if the sport has helped them grow in stature. Surprisingly, the answer can be both!

Can Playing Volleyball Increase Height?

Before we answer that, let’s uncover the factors that determine height.

According to studies, genetics determines 80% of a person’s height. This means that a person typically grows as tall as the genes they inherited from their parents, with little fluctuation due to environmental variables.

These environmental factors primarily comprise nutrition and exercise during a child’s formative years. Research shows that nutritional adequacy, complete with macro- and micronutrient intake, are important factors for height among children.

In the same way, there is evidence to support that exercise in early childhood increases height and body mass composition (BMC). Engaging in exercise and sports can impact a child’s linear growth and develops their bone and muscle tissues because it stimulates the secretion of the human growth hormone (HGH) responsible for increasing height.

So, playing volleyball, especially at an early age, can boost a child’s height potential and help them grow taller as they reach adulthood.

However, the direct relationship between height and exercise only goes as far as puberty. Physical activity can no longer contribute to linear height gain after the body’s growth spurt at the ages of 9 to 15 in girls and 12 to 17 in boys.

During adulthood, when a person has reached their full height potential, the focus shifts to improving posture and combatting age-related shrinking. Starting at the age of 40, a person can lose ¼ to ⅓ of an inch in height per decade due to the vertebrates losing fluid and compressing the spine and the loss of bone density caused by osteoporosis.

Volleyball can help mitigate the impact of age-related height loss, strengthening the bones, joints, and muscles, and helping improve posture. Engaging in physical activity as an adult will not add to your height. But it will help you maximize your actual height potential and maintain it as you age.

How Volleyball Can Make You Taller

As we’ve established, volleyball can only go as far as puberty when it comes to increasing height. Because the sport involves a lot of jumping, children who play volleyball are able to increase their height growth potential substantially.

In a study, prepubertal children participated in a 7-month jumping intervention to determine if the activity impacted their body mass composition. The results showed that children that completed 100 jumps 3 times a week for 7 months showed greater bone mass accrual and had 3.6% more BMC.

This shows that jumping exercises help children gain skeletal benefits, thereby increasing their height potential during puberty.

There have also been reports that link physical activity, such as volleyball, to growth plate stimulation. It helps facilitate the secretion of HGH from the brain’s pituitary glands and boosts nutrient and oxygen supply in the bloodstream, producing bone tissue necessary for growth.

Although playing volleyball cannot increase height in adults as in children, the physical activity associated with the sport facilitates optimal bone health. Exercise strengthens both old and new bones and prevents density loss, thereby countering height loss caused by aging.

Volleyball can also improve posture among adults, reducing slouching that can take 2-3 inches off their actual height.

Volleyball Drills That Increase Height

The relationship between volleyball and height increase is attributed to certain drills or activities that help maximize growth. These include smashing and blocking the ball, both of which require jumping.

Smashing

Smashing is the act of hitting the ball with a powerful force at a downward angle close to the net to score a point. The player must jump high enough to send the ball over the net and onto the opponent’s court to perform a smash.

This requires a strong spring, pushing the body weight up using the legs and generating enough power to jump and hit the ball.

Blocking

Blocking is a defensive move where the player jumps to stop the ball from passing the net. To carry it out, volleyball athletes must be able to jump high enough with their arms stretched over the net to reach the ball and send it back to the opponent’s court.

This move doesn’t only require strong jumping power but also technique. The player must be able to jump right in front of the ball’s trajectory to successfully block it.

How To Grow Taller Playing Volleyball

Playing volleyball to increase height is most effective when complemented with the following:

Start Early

Volleyball, and any other physical activity, can increase height only during a child’s formative years. It’s best engaged early on, specifically at 9 years old for girls and 12 years old for boys.

At this time, their bodies undergo puberty, which is also the time when exercise can stimulate the body’s functions responsible for linear and statural growth.

Practice Regularly

For volleyball to help increase height, the body needs to be regularly exposed to training. Practicing 3 to 4 times a week is ideal for maximizing growth. But be careful not to overdo it.

Too much physical activity can cause strain and injury, making achieving your ideal height counterproductive. Rest is important for the body to recover and repair itself.

Get Proper Nutrition

Regular training should be supplemented with proper nutrition. Any athlete needs to have a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients complete with protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fat. For height gain, stock up on both macro- and micro-nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K.

In addition to a well-balanced diet, adding growth supplements can help you achieve maximum height potential. Our height growth pills are infused with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and protein to support your height growth, support bone growth and development, and helps optimal health and wellness.

CONCLUSION

While genetics do play a role in determining your height, you have the power to nurture your growth through lifestyle choices, diet, exercise, and scientifically backed supplements. Whether you're in your growth years or an adult looking to gain extra height, there are steps you can take to reach your height potential naturally.

TruHeight is your partner in supporting your height potential and growth. Whether you're in your growth years or an adult looking to gain extra height, TruHeight provides the essential support you need.