Question
I am an avid martial artist of many styles and also a bodybuilder. Recently I had to take a long break from my training regime due to a bad flu, which was long lasting. I was prescribed Clarac 250mg (clarithromycin).
I got back in the gym tonight and I have been keeping my old diet up for the 3 weeks that I didn’t train, but I noticed after taking these tablets or possibly the lay off, I have grown about an inch wider, yet my muscle mass seems the same. It’s like my body structure has grown. I am 22 and 1/2 years old so I wouldn’t expect a growth spurt at my age.
Have these antibiotics somehow made me grow? Do they contain some ingredient that could do such a thing or is this just late coincidental growth spurt? Please give your opinion on the matter if this is in your area of expertise
Answer
Thank you for your email.
It is generally known that the ends of our long bones close at about age 21, thus one can not grow taller in height. Of course this is a general age of end of height growth yet perhaps in a rare case you did have a growth spurt yet that seems highly improbable unless a medical professional may verify.
It is a common practice for farmed animals to be fed antibiotics to curb infection and promote growth in size. The antibiotics kill ammonia producing bacteria (of course many other bacteria strains are also killed) and this affects our bowel flora (natural bacteria in the digestive tract). Basically ammonia can slow growth so less ammonia (produced from protein metabolism) enables greater growth in farmed animals. Once again the course of antibiotics may not be the cause of a quick growth spurt but it does place a slight burden on our bowel flora. Perhaps a mixture of not having physical strain, the gym work outs, and rest may also have enabled tissue growth. The antibiotics may be linked but to know for sure would require medical tests for validation.
Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using supplements in your healing process.
