How To Grow Taller at 11 for Boys and Girls

This article will explain how 11 year old boys and girls can get taller. We’ll be discussing how much an 11 year old can expect to grow during puberty, as well as the best ways to take full advantage of their upcoming period of physical development.

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How to grow taller at 11 years old as a boy

A boy demonstrating how to get taller at 11 years old

At the age of 11, not all boys have begun puberty yet. So you shouldn’t panic if your 11 year old son isn’t as tall as his peers, especially if he has a later birthday.

Statistically, an eleven year old boy will grow by 2 inches between the ages of 11 and 12. The precise amount of height gain is governed by the child’s genetics and their phase of pubertal development.

In order to maximize an eleven year old boy’s height growth, you should ensure that he consumes a nutrient-dense diet and avoids restricting his calories.

Research shows, for example, that eating enough protein during childhood can prime the body to produce IGF-1, which is a growth hormone produced mainly in the liver. ^[1]

In addition to getting plenty of protein, which is available from lean meats, red meats, fish, eggs, dairy, and beans, you should also aim to ensure that your 11 year old son eats a wide variety of fruits and vegetables so that he gets plenty of different vitamins and minerals in his diet.

Additionally, your 11 year old should consume enough carbohydrates to support their active lifestyle. Try to avoid sugar-loaded cereals and instead give your eleven year old oatmeal (with berries or other fruit) and potatoes, which are an extremely versatile carb source.

As well as sleep, which we’ll explore in the next section, exercise is an integral part of growing taller at 11 because running around releases growth hormone.

How to grow taller at 11 years old for girls

Growing taller at 11 for girls is exactly the same as growing taller at 11 for boys, which is evidenced by the fact that male and female 11-year-olds are typically the exact same height.

Eleven-year-old girls can expect to get around 2 inches taller between the ages of 11 and 12.

In order to maximize their height development, 11 year old girls, like boys of the same age, should aim to get 9-11 hours of sleep each night. ^[2]

Like exercise, sleep leads to a growth hormone release which, besides encouraging height growth, helps an eleven year old to recover from their active lifestyle and school time.

Additionally, 11 year old girls need plenty of exercise to promote growth hormone production and offset the sedentary tendencies that likely come with sitting in class.

Nutrition is also of paramount importance for a growing 11 year old girl. You don’t want your 11 year old daughter to have any nutrient deficiencies, so it’s important that she eats a varied and balanced diet.

Some research shows that zinc supplementation in childhood may lead to a height increase. But this study was based on children under 5, so it’s unclear if the same results would apply to 11 year old girls and boys. ^[3]

With this in mind, some parents give their children a trace mineral supplement if, after talking to a doctor, they believe that it could aid their eleven year old’s height growth and overall pubertal development.

How do you know when an 11 year old is having a growth spurt?

If your 11 year old son or daughter is noticeably taller than they were a few months ago, or even 6-9 months ago, then they might be going through a growth spurt.

Other growth spurt indicators for an 11 year old include an increased appetite, weight gain, and an increase in sleep duration.

It might be a good idea to weigh your eleven year old when you measure their height because stature and body mass tend to increase together during puberty.

Just make sure to measure your child as accurately as possible to avoid any confusion at a later date. In this regard, a stadiometer is ideal.

Can an 11 year old get taller overnight?

A boy showing how to grow taller at 11 years old

While it’s possible for an 11 year old to become physically taller overnight if they’re currently growing, they won’t get noticeably taller overnight.

This is because substantial and noticeable height growth can take a few months to become apparent, even when a child is going through puberty.

So, if your 11 year old isn’t getting taller, don’t panic.

You can certainly see a pediatrician if you believe that your eleven year old is much too short for their age, but there’s also a good chance that an 11 year old, especially an 11 year old boy, hasn’t reached his peak height growth velocity yet.

In conclusion: How to maximize the height development of an 11 year old

Now that you know how to grow taller at 11, it’s just a case of making sure that your 11 year old gets the nutrition they need to grow as tall as their genetics will allow.

Height is, of course, largely genetic. But getting plenty of exercise and sleep will provide the growth hormone that an 11 year old’s growing body needs.

So, while diet is important, daily exercise and a good night’s sleep are also critical for an 11 year old to get taller and reach their height potential.

References

Switkowski, K. M., Jacques, P. F., Must, A., Fleisch, A., & Oken, E. (2019). Associations of protein intake in early childhood with body composition, height, and insulin-like growth factor I in mid-childhood and early adolescence. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(4), 1154–1163. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy354
School-age and pre-teen sleep: what to expect. (2020, August 26). Raising Children Network. Retrieved from https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/healthy-lifestyle/sleep/school-age-sleep
Liu, E., Pimpin, L., Shulkin, M., Kranz, S., Duggan, C. P., Mozaffarian, D., & Fawzi, W. W. (2018). Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Growth Outcomes in Children under 5 Years of Age. Nutrients, 10(3), 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10030377