- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Repetitive blocking and the
weight of helmets and pads may compress the spine enough to result in a
temporary loss of height for some football players, a new study finds.

Previous research has suggested that gravity-related compression of the
spine can cause a person to lose as much as 1 percent of their height in a
normal day. Fortunately, this height loss is recovered during sleep.

In this study, researchers looked at 10 football players whose
positions were most likely to expose them to repetitive longitudinal
loading of the spine over the course of a game due to blocking, tackling
and other maneuvers.

Each player's height was measured before and after the game. Their
average pre-game height was 176.56 centimeters, and their average
post-game height was 175.81 centimeters.

“The results indicate that high school football players' heights
decrease during the course of a game by almost one full centimeter,” study
author Brian J. Campbell said in a prepared statement.

“The decrease is likely due to the intermittent high-impact compressive
loading of the spinal column during a football game, as well as the
low-impact continuous compressive forces from equipment weight. In a game
such as football, one centimeter could mean the difference between a
game-winning catch or a blocked field goal,” Campbell said.

He noted that hydration may play a role in this height loss through the
release of fluid from the vertebrae via osmosis. Future research is
required to pinpoint why football players lose height during a game,
Campbell said.

The study was presented this week at the annual meeting of the American
College of Sports Medicine, in Indianapolis.

More information

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about football.