Controversial vascularity

Vascularity in bodybuilding is controversial. The term refers to the extent of superficial prominence of blood vessels, or veins, that are just below the skin’s surface. Of course, you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to show prominent vascularity. You can readily see a lot of veins on many thin people.

Conditioned bodybuilders and other athletes show prominent vascularity for the same reason that thin people do: low subcutaneous bodyfat, which is the fat that lies just under the skin. Vascularity is controversial because of the way the public, inside and outside bodybuilding reacts to it. I’ve heard people express disgust about “all those veins sticking out” on bodybuilders. Rather than admire the fact that those veins are “sticking out” because of low bodyfat, people express revulsion, often commenting that they are ugly and don’t look natural. It’s the amount of visible veins that is controversial and most of us and especially the non-bodybuilders will dislike the visible veins on female bodybuilders. Later in this blogpost I posted some reactions on Bodybuilding.com.

Having an extensive amount of vascularity is not only desirable but sought after by competitive bodybuilders. From a judging perspective, a bodybuilder who displays it is said to be in contest condition—at least as far as bodyfat is concerned. All those veins sticking out somehow make the competitor seem more muscular. It’s certainly plausible when you consider that contestants with excess bodyfat rarely show any degree of vascularity.

To put this all in perspective. Bodybuilders lean out to a body fat percentage 3%-8% and sit at that percentage only a few times per year for a very short time, for photoshoots or the days leading up to a contest/show.

Bodybuilders then use prescription or/and natural diuretics etc. They also abstain from drinking water and manipulate sodium intake.

They become a paper-thin skin, sucked tightly to the muscle due to dehydration. In order to achieve that they use all kinds of drugs – peptides and hormones, but more on that later. On the picture IFBB Pro Frank McGrath. The impressive fore arm used in the header is also from Frank.

Before a photoshoot or show bodybuilders “pump” their muscles to improve the bloodflow to the muscles, this also causes the veins to become thicker. To show you the difference, I posted a comparison picture (below) from Frank stage ready and in an add for Animal Nutrition. An excellent movie on the subject can be seen here: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeXrDSkYSsY

A pro-bodybuilders works fanatic up to a contest to look his best, that’s why all the drugs the heavy dieting, the dehydration and then the shaving, tanning, oiling and pumping up the muscles until they almost burst, gives a dramatic view to the spectator of that contest. But there is no way the bodybuilder could look that way all year long. It is very unhealthy to be in that state too.

GENETICS

Not having prominent veins doesn’t mean that you’re out of shape or that you have too much bodyfat. The location of superficial blood vessels is also a factor, one that depends on genetics. Some bodybuilders can be “ripped” yet not display a lot of vascularity. Their great conditioning is still apparent, however, because of their obvious muscularity, which may include cross-striations in certain muscle groups, such as the thighs and triceps, that would not appear if they had too much bodyfat. In many bodybuilders the veins never show, and the reason is simple: Their blood vessels lie deeper under the skin than those of other competitors.

Although prized by many bodybuilders, vascularity is controversial for a number of reasons. Many people believe that having extensive vascularity points to anabolic drug use. The thinking is that drugs selectively help reduce subcutaneous fat stores more than is possible through exercise and diet. To a certain extent, that’s true

An often overlooked ingredient in the ‘how to get more vascular’ equation is simply building enough muscle size to require increased blood vessel size and quantity. As we gain muscle through bodybuilding, we typically gain bigger and vaster networks of blood vessels to support those muscles. Even if you have genetic predisposition for visible veins, as the muscles become bigger and harder, you’ll also see a lot of veins that weren’t previously visible suddenly pop to the surface and begin showing.

DRUGS

One has only to compare a drug-free, or natural, bodybuilder to a self-professed anabolic-drug user whose vascularity is much more evident. Again, however, genetics enters the picture; many bodybuilders who’ve never used any form of anabolic drugs can also show prominent vascularity with low bodyfat if they have blood vessels located closer to the surface of the skin. Drugs besides steroids that may affect vascularity, such as thyroid hormone, growth hormone, ephedrine (ECA) and clenbuterol, work by reducing bodyfat, including the kind under the skin. Some even use DNP, a very dangerous fat burning drug. Also prescription diuretics are very dangerous because they can cause severe dehydration, sometimes resulting in sudden death. Like with everything else in this world, different people have different opinions and results. That’s why everyone will use different steroids in contest preparation. Still almost everyone agrees to Trenbolone(or Parabolan) Masteron and Stanozolol. Some also use orals like D-bol Oxymetholone (Anadrol) and of course Stanozolol. And I don’t even want to mention SARM’s, peptides etc.

Amphetamines believe it or not are abused by a great number of bodybuilders for the look it gives as well as for keeping them awake; It allows them to abuse large amounts of rHGH, oral steroids, and particular injectables that cause fatigue. It is however greatly frowned upon in bodybuilding because it ravages the body and causes a lot of peoples bodybuilding careers to end prematurely.

Some bodybuilders have even contemplated using drugs that raise blood pressure because they believe that it will bring the veins out. It won’t, but it may bring on a heart attack or stroke. Other bodybuilders sip wine shortly before going onstage at a contest, thinking that it will rapidly dilate blood vessels and produce a more vascular appearance. Alcohol does dilate blood vessels, but only small ones in the skin that aren’t readily apparent. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote in one of his book that he took a small alcoholic beverage for that reason. On the pic: The effect of the sauna on the veins/bloodcirculation. Some bodybuilders use an hairdryer for this effect, before the show or shoot, just like “pumping and flexing.”

The good news is that the dilation makes you feel warmer, even if not more vascular-looking. The same holds true with downing some niacin, a B-complex vitamin known to cause blood vessel dilation. Again, you’ll feel warm, and the increased blood circulation produced by the niacin will make you look flushed, or redder, and that may blend in with your tan, natural or otherwise. As for making you appear more vascular under the posing light.

Vinpocetine is widely used in the body building community as a vasolidator . Although no studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of vinpocetine on performance enhancement during exercise, both beneficial and adverse effects have been reported on body building forums. It's effect on circulation is especially to the brain. As a tablet I don't see it of much benefit for muscles and I would not suggest more than 40 mg daily. You may want to look at Niacin. I would also add that vinpocetine is an ingredient in many pre-workout formulas, meant to get a strong muscle-pump.

EPO Perhaps the most idiotic technique ever devised for producing greater vascularity is to engage in blood doping by using drugs such as EPO analogs that increase red blood cell concentration. That it doesn’t work is evident when you view elite cyclists, many of whom engage in blood doping. I don’t recall ever seeing a particularly vascular cyclist—do you?

OLD SCHOOL vs TODAY

In the past, prominent vascularity was rare in bodybuilding competition. While some muscles, such as the biceps, did show a vein or two, you didn’t see the vascularity so abundant today—yet another reason it’s associated with drug use. Vince Gironda, one of the greatest bodybuilding competitors ever, once told me that he often lost to far less muscular bodybuilders because of his then-rare high vascularity. Most bodybuilders in the late ’40s and ’50s just didn’t show many veins. It made a guy like Vince stand out—which at that time wasn’t good. “The judges just didn’t know what to do with me, so they would place me third or fourth to men who were far less muscular than me,” Vince said.

Another bodybuilder with the same problem was Bob Hinds. I recall viewing a photo of him on the cover of Iron Man around 1959, when he was at his physical peak. His vascularity was astonishing, easily rivaling any of the current bodybuilding competitors. Yet like Gironda, Hinds suffered the same discouraging fate in competition. His highest placing in the Mr. America contest was eighth in 1956, although he did place third in the voting for the most-muscular award. He stopped competing not long after that.

REACTIONS ON BODYBUILDING.COM

Not only people from outside bodybuilding dislike prominent visible veins, these are some reactions from a thread from Bodybuilding.com. (link underneath the article)

“I like the way veins look when they pop out.” “God dam that's so unaesthetic man thats gross and unhealthy looking”, “ fcking disgusting, imagine how nasty that would look when his skin gets wrinkly and saggy”, “ f.cuk thats actually disgusting, i think vascularity looks great but thats way over the top, but at same time, its amazing how he looks like that”, “ Girls are not into that for sure” “ And the thing is, it only shows this much when they flex, so it shouldn't really be a problem.”

VARICOSE VEINS

While vascularity is now common in competitive bodybuilders, particularly among the professional elite, there is a type of vascularity that isn’t so pretty: the tortured, twisted, bloated veins you often see on competitors. You don’t have to be a doctor to recognize such monstrosities as varicose veins. Even those who admire high normal vascularity are often taken aback when they see a bodybuilder whose extensive varicose veins look like a highway map to nowhere. They’re just painful to view. The question is, What causes varicose veins like that in bodybuilders?

Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart. To prevent a backflow of the blood from the effects of gravity, they have small leaflet valves. The muscles work like auxiliary pumps, helping the veins distribute blood back to the heart. Varicose veins are the result of a failure of the one-way leaflet valves. When that happens, the blood flows backward into the veins, raising the internal blood pressure on their thin walls and eventually enlarging the veins. It usually affects the superficial veins lying closer to the skin surface.

So varicose veins obviously have a negative appearance, but they can also be painful, particularly if you’re standing or walking. They can itch, and scratching the itch can cause skin ulcers, compounding the problem. Varicose veins in the legs feel achy and heavy, especially after exercise. They can also cause leg cramps and are related to restless leg syndrome, which can interfere with sleep and upset your metabolism and recovery. Varicose veins are more common in women and often appear during pregnancy, which points to an underlying hormonal component. Those whose work requires prolonged standing often develop extensive varicose veins in their legs. While women are more likely to have varicose veins than men, men aren’t immune to the condition, as bodybuilders prove. Recent studies have shown that hormone imbalances do indeed play a role. Estrogen may explain why women have more varicose veins than men. Older men, particularly those low in testosterone, experience a greater incidence of varicose veins, as do those who have a genetic condition called Klinefelter’s syndrome, characterized by high estrogen and low testosterone. Could estrogen be one of the causes of varicose veins?

Both androgen and estrogen receptors are found in veins. A recent study examined hormonal receptors and various hormones in the large saphenous vein in the legs of men who did and didn’t have varicose veins.¹ Those who had varicose veins showed more estrogen relative to free, or active, testosterone in their bodies, and their androgen receptor activity was downgraded, likely due to a local negative feedback caused by the greater concentration of estrogen. That has implications for men whether or not they’re bodybuilders.

For non-bodybuilders, the major story is that having an imbalance of estrogen to testosterone may set the stage for the appearance of varicose veins. Whether that happens depends on other factors, such as genetic predisposition, diet, exercise and amount of time spent standing on your feet. For bodybuilders who use anabolic drugs, the point is that some steroids can convert into estrogen through the actions of the enzyme aromatase, which is found throughout the body, particularly in fat tissue. When men age, they tend to lose muscle and gain fat, which would predispose them to higher estrogen counts and, in due course, varicose veins. Most bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids that can convert into estrogen know the score and take aromatase blockers or estrogen antagonists, such as Nolvadex.

Still, you have to wonder how many top bodybuilders who have a lot of varicose veins got that way through an unfortunate combination of excess estrogen and heredity. Perhaps even certain styles of training are involved, although since the muscles assist the veins in returning blood to the heart, reducing pressure on veins, exercise would be an unlikely source of the problem. There’s not much a bodybuilder can do to prevent varicose veins, other than being aware of the effect of estrogen while doing everything you can to maintain normal testosterone. Some studies show that nutrients that strengthen the vein walls, such as vitamin C and bioflavonoids, offer some preventive effects, as do herbs that contain natural silicon, such as horsetail.

The other option: Just live with it, or resort to medical solutions for the removal of varicose veins.

//forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=129869843&page=2

Kendler, M., et al. (2010). Elevated sex steroid hormones in great saphenous veins in men. J Vasc Surg. 51:639-646. Zie ook estro veins

Frank McGrath Motivational //www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kgmzj5r5XM

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