Anyone who ventures into the local gym on a Wednesday afternoon will no doubt notice: It’s full of emaciated teenage boys trying to put on muscle. But is gaining muscle mass at such a young age a good idea?
Bart Rowlands, professor of human physiology at VUB, doesn’t think so. When you are twelve years old, you have just entered puberty. Then your body is still going through many hormonal changes. It is not recommended to focus on inflation afterwards.
Strength training and hypertrophy
Hypertrophy — growth of larger muscles — isn’t really a good idea, says Alessandro Colosio, a postdoctoral researcher in exercise science at Ghent University.
But he qualifies: “Strength training at an early age can do no harm and even has advantages. In the past, there was often skepticism about teens doing strength training. However, recent scientific research shows that strength training is quite appropriate at a young age.” Snap: It can help you avoid injuries, it improves your motor skills, and it also has psychological benefits.
Colosio wants to differentiate between strength training and hypertrophy. Strength training ensures that muscles can produce more force. Hypertrophy is the enlargement of your muscles. Hypertrophy can be one potential goal in strength training, but it doesn’t have to be.
Risks of strength training in adolescents
Although strength training at an early age is certainly possible, there are some risks involved. When teens are in their growth spurt, it is important to guide them properly. Tendons grow at a different rate than muscles and bones. For example, there is a point in a growth spurt when teens have strong muscles and bones, but tendons are weak. This could carry risks of infection,” says Colosio.
Unfortunately, commercial fitness centers like Basic Fit and Jim’s don’t offer standard training in their subscriptions. This can have risks, because young people who do strength training must be properly supervised.
