I am interested to know what your experiences have been regarding bone growth. Specifically, at what age did most stop growing in height, width (e.g. wrist girth, shoulder width). The reason I ask, is that it seems to me that a number of my friends seem to continue to grow in bone structure well into their twenties. These friends do not lift or use AAS or GH. I am 27, 5’11, 190lbs with about 11-12%bodyfat, with a light bone structure. I don’t know if I have any potential bone growth left, but I have never used AAS, and am now considering doing a cycle. However, I have heard that the use of AAS will permanently shut down any future bone growth. If this is the case, I would wait to do the cycle until I was about 30 years old. So my main question is, have any of you experienced any type of natural bone growth in your late twenties (not due to GH)? I appreciate all responses.
I got to 6’0" by the time I was 23. I wasn’t into BB per se but was quite athletic. Didn’t notice any other changes in shoulder width, wrist girth, but my feet got wider by one size at 25. Suprisingly, I grew another inch taller a month after I turned 29.
I’m 6’4" and I stopped growing around the age of nineteen. My paternal twin, he sometimes posts as “Shaggy”, is also 6’4", but he didn’t reach that height until he was twenty one. I have a few friends that continued to grow well into their early twenties. However, I’ve never noticed anyone growing after the age of twenty two. On a side note, I have a circle of friends who experimented extensivly with GH during their mid to late twenties. To my knowledge, none of them exhibited any signes of bone growth. I seriously doubt you have to wait until you are 30 (I don’t mean that as an endorsment), but if you are concerned you could talk with your doctor. He might not have the answer, but he could direct you towards a specialist.
T, it’s generally accepted that bone growth continues well into one’s 20’s, with the “normal” age for finishing given as about 26. Unless, of course, you’re a teenager who’s desperate to try steroids and have convinced yourself that you’re fully grown at 19 - which is sort of like convincing yourself that you entered puberty at age 3. (Ahh, jeez, sorry about that. It’s just that it’s been percolating up inside me for the last few days, and I simply couldn’t control myself any longer.)
Anyway, if you’re 27 years old, I doubt that steroids are going to cause you any problems, bone-wise. Go for it.
One other thing - I should mention (given the first two answers to your post) that bone growth isn’t limited to how tall you get. The ends of the bones harden, you get more density, etc. Although lots of people reach their full height around 19-20, the other maturation processes don’t stop until later.
Chris-
That’s why I am reluctant to do a cycle- from what I understand, the use of AAS will cease future bone growth. I have been lifting for almost a decade now, and although I have made decent progress (nothing spectacular- I don’t gain muscle in my upper body very easily), I know that more bone thickness or density would lend itself to supporting more muscle (big-boned people generally have more muscle mass than small boned people). My main concern is that I do not want to hinder bone growth if it could make a difference in terms of supporting more muscle- if I even have any potential growth left. Thanks for your input.
You know, out of all the various gear related worries I’ve heard through the years, this is the first time anyone mentioned bone growth as their primary concern. While it’s a valid issue, I think you are probably making too much out of it. However, if you are that concerned, go and see a doctor. As knowledgeable as some people are on this forum, I wouldn’t use their advice in place of a medical proffesional on this sort of thing.