Varicose Veins at 27?

BullGod

I saw a couple of dark marks on the veins around my calf and shin. I showed them to a knowledgeable colleague and he says it is some kind of varicose veins, probably due to the low fat high muscle composition of my legs....

This worries me as I am 27, healthy, and have a FTP of about 340w, so I really wouldn't have thought I would be in a position to have anything wrong with my veins.....

Anybody know anything about this? For the record - the last year I have been using a protein shake after training and have put on a lot of muscle on my legs - and the veins have become very prominent.

Dondare

These can be a curse for cyclists. I wear flight socks all the time now.

Eden

Prominent veins and varicose veins are totally different beasts. You can have prominents veins just because you have low body fat - there isn't anything but skin to cover them up so you can see them and they can look gnarly indeed. Varicose veins are prominent because they are malfunctioning and swollen. Your veins have little valves in them to prevent the blood in them from flowing backwards inbetween heart beats - otherwise it would be very hard for your blood to get out of your legs and feet and back up to your heart. In varicose veins those little valves have failed and the blood pools in the vein causing them to get prominent and gnarly. (btw having good muscle tone and using your legs regurlarly helps get blood back to your heart too, so being fit and healthy is good to prevent varicosities)
If you are just low body fat and fit I would guess you probably don't have truely have varicose veins, you can just see veins that most people cover up with fat. If you are really worried about it have a doctor check them out. There is lazer surgery that can take care of true varicose veins pretty easily now.

jrstevens

google George Hincapie varicose veins; I bet his FTP is a taste higher than yours

howierart

I have had Varicose Veins since I was in my early 20's and have always been healthy and a cyclist. My doctor told me I could have them removed but it would essentially be cosmetic surgery as they are no threat to ones health. They are something you will inherit genetically too - my grandad had them, my dad had them etc. I used to obsess over mine and think they looked horrible, but now I forget about them until something like this jogs my memory. Basically just keep riding and forget about them.