In space you grow a few centimeters

Astronauts return from space measuring more than when they lifted off: they can grow by around 3%, that is, several centimeters in just a few days.

The cause is the absence of gravity. On Earth, your weight compresses the discs that separate the vertebrae of your spine every day. In orbit, without that crushing force, the discs swell a little and the spine stretches, gaining height.

The effect is temporary: back under gravity, the spine compresses again and within a few months the original height returns. Along the way, many astronauts suffer back pain while the body adjusts to being, all of a sudden, longer.

Source: NASA