People become shorter when they are past a certain age (it's said starting around 40). Should we have reason to believe that life-long swimmers shrink less due to frequent stretching and horizontal positions? Or, are you taller than you would have been had you not been swimming? Wonder if there has been any study on this.
I'd be very surprised. While swimmers spend some extra time weightless, as it were, they still spend most of their waking hours subject to the effect of gravity.
I don't think swimming makes you taller.
Really muscular swimmers with broad shoulders and big backs tend to hunch over and have poor posture. That alone can create the appearance of being slightly less than your ideal height.
Good question !! I would think that running, jumping & any sport that you land hard on your feet would compact the spine would add to being shorter --- swimming would allow the spine to be under less vertical pressure & stay at your given alltitude longer.
I would think that running, jumping & any sport that you land hard on your feet would compact the spine would add to being shorter On the other hand, these are weight bearing activities that stimulate bone function and healthy bones keep us from shrinking. Interesting topic here.
I don't want to shrink, I'll have to re-tailor my suit again
