Adolescent Growth Spurt

The adolescent growth spurt in height, which is variable in timing and tempo, is the primary focus of this entry, although concurrent changes with sexual maturation are also considered. Both the growth spurt and sexual maturation are driven by hormones of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. Body weight, segments of height (trunk and leg length), components of body composition, and several functional parameters also have well‐defined growth spurts, which vary relative to the timing of the spurt in height. This entry also briefly discusses the implications of individual differences in the timing of the growth spurt and pubertal maturation for adolescent behaviors, physical performance, and sport, for efforts to predict age at peak height velocity and adult health.