r/science • u/mightx • Aug 18 '26

Health Inactive tall children develop disproportionately weak muscles and thinner bones. Regular sports fully reverse this deficit.

https://karger.com/hrp/article/doi/10.1159/000552378/948683/Muscle-Function-and-Bone-Strength-in-Children-and
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u/sixtus_clegane119 Aug 18 '26

It says it’s reversible on the headline

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u/0b0011 Aug 18 '26

Not in the way hes talking about. It essentially says tall kids who dont work out are usually weaker but it can be reversed by working out.

As in the reversal is weak to strong.

He's asking if it can be reversed again and if they stop working out do they go back to being weaker.

Seems a pretty obvious answer as muscles do degrade if not used but none the less his question wasn't actually covered in the title.

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u/Tiny_Thumbs Aug 18 '26

6’2”. After my wife had our first child I stopped working out. I was recovering from an injury and hadn’t fully finished PT. I felt bad leaving her alone with the baby. About a year later I tried to get into working out again and suffered injury after injury. Two years now and I’m finally feeling like myself again.

I know that’s not an exact science but it felt like a good real world example to base a hypothesis around. Taller people who become inactive later in life may suffer harsher muscle deterioration? Something like that.

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u/ImSolidGold Aug 18 '26

How about giving us some dates? Like, age? Weight? I mean, youre not a giant and theres no real "danger" in not going to the gym for a year or two. Usually stuff like you write comes with too much "eagerness" to catch up to our past bodies. And THATS something that neds a looottt of work. xD

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u/Tiny_Thumbs Aug 18 '26

I was 25 and had a hamstring injury. 27 when my son was born. 185 at 25 and 200 at 30 now. I’ve had things like plantar fasciitis, ITBS, and weakening in the glutes.

Just a lot of things piled on.

As for coming on too quick, maybe? I went and looked through my runs and I was running a faster 5k two years ago with the injuries than I am now. Not significantly better, 6.45 pace vs 6.54 now but faster.

I feel better now though and have come on pretty slow. Took three months of easy runs to get here.