Too Young to Pump Iron?

Bombarded by images of male model-types and other young Hollywood males that associate beefed-up, muscular bodies with male sex appeal, teenage boys are under the same intense pressure as girls to imitate the "look" if they want to be considered attractive.

Many teenage boys cope by taking up weight lifting and bodybuilding with a vengeance. Parents ask if this is safe. Are there any inherent dangers they should be aware of?

Weightlifting fact

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 35 percent of the estimated 60,000 injuries each year linked to weightlifting equipment involved people ages 15 to 24. Children ages 5 to 14 were involved in 12 percent of accidents with weightlifting equipment.

Experts say yes to the potential dangers of weight lifting. Properly supervised training using light weights in a controlled manner does not pose a danger to youngsters. But lifting weights that are too heavy in a jerky motion such as well-trained power lifters does pose "a significant risk of injury" for teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says.

"Almost all weight-training injuries in kids are associated with the major lifts in physically immature kids, and most of the injuries are back injuries," says Dr. Bernard Griesemer, a member of the AAP's national committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness.

An injury isn't the only risk your child faces in bodybuilding. Lifting weights puts pressure against bones, which helps adults build bone density but can inhibit bone growth in a maturing teenager, says John Acquaviva, Ph.D., associate professor of health and physical education at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.

Experts also contend that more adolescents, including non-athletes, are experimenting with performance-enhancing nutritional supplements (creatine and androstenedione) that have not been tested on children and oral anabolic steroids, which can cause lymphoma, liver cancer and impotence.

"In the last five or six years, we've seen a major increase in steroid use among pre-adolescent and adolescent males," says author Mark Anshel, a visiting professor of sports psychology at Texas Tech University. "We're finding that the reason younger kids are taking steroids is to improve their self-image, to look good for their peers and the opposite sex, and to feel better about their bodies."

Visit the National Institute of Drug Abuse Web site to find out more about the warning signs and health risks of steroid use.

Tips for safe lifting

The AAP says teens should not try lifting the greatest possible amount of weight until they are fully mature. The average age for developmental maturity is 15 in both sexes, but you should not automatically assume your child is physically or emotionally ready for serious weight training at that age, Griesemer and Acquaviva say.

"Kids tend to be reckless, and they do tend to be careless. Regardless of how strong a kid looks, they are still emotionally immature," says Acquaviva.

If you are encouraging your children to lift weights, make sure they have an adult supervisor who is trained to work with young athletes. There are no national standards for certification of trainers, so ask if your child's trainer knows the proper weights, lifting movements and breathing techniques, says Acquaviva.

"Under no circumstance should a weight be so heavy that a person cannot lift it eight times," says Acquaviva.

Weightlifting not the only fitness solution

Strength training is good for youngsters, but it's not the only way to improve your child athlete's performance, experts say. A regular routine of sit-ups, pushups and running may be more appealing and is certainly less risky for your child than a weight workout, Griesemer says.

"In fact, there's no conclusive evidence that strength training will make your child a better athlete or protect him from minor strains and sprains or major head injuries," Griesemer says. "Eating a healthy diet, getting adequate rest and fluid intake, and avoiding emotional burnout are more important for a young athlete's performance than training with weights."

Acquaviva contends that teens should stick to sports-related drills to improve dexterity, speed and eye-hand coordination and "let the body develop as it should."

"It's such a grueling thing to do if you want to see results," Acquaviva says of weight training. "It's not like it's an enjoyable experience. It's a good way to turn kids off to exercise in general."

As a parent, you should build your children's self-esteem so they don't think they need artificial means, such as steroids or supplements, to build muscles, Anshel says.

"Not every male can develop Stallone and Schwarzenegger-type musculature no matter how hard they work out," he said. "Let your children know early on that you accept and love them for the individuals they are."

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External Sources American Academy of Pediatrics U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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