Cyclists and Varicose Veins

Pawel Poljanski Exposes Post-Race Veins

Polish cyclist Pawel Poljanski put out a photo of post-race legs on social media during the Tour de France, revealing massively enlarged leg veins.

The image of his bulging veins went viral across the world and many wondered whether cycling was good or bad for the veins. With such swollen veins, would there be a greater chance of developing varicose veins in the future?

Cyclists and Leg Veins

Firstly, it’s important to remember that the veins are designed to dilate under extreme pressure caused by higher blood flow, which is a result of intensive exercise. When a competitive cyclist is cycling for a days race, the blood pumps far faster through the veins, making them appear larger.

Blood normally flows through the legs about one litre per leg, per minute, but that can increase up to 10 times during vigorous activity, causing the veins to swell.

Veins will also expand to disperse body heat, another factor.

Finally, cyclists have relatively low body fat, which makes veins more noticeable and prominent.

However, the swollen veins do go down within a few hours and are not indicative of future vein problems.

In fact, experts say that cyclists face no larger risk of developing varicose veins that anyone else and that those who stand on their feet all day, such as hairdressers or shop workers, are at greater risk.

Thread Veins and Varicose Veins

Thread veins and varicose veins are vascular problems which occur when the veins have become damaged and blood can’t flow efficiently through them. The blood pools, which places further pressure on the damaged vein, so the pooling becomes worse.

Varicose veins are characterised by lumpy, twisted, blue/purplish veins. The condition can cause swelling, ulceration, eczema, pain, throbbing and a whole range of other unpleasant symptoms.

Varicose Vein Treatments

EVLA laser varicose vein removal is viewed as the gold-standards solution for varicose veins.

This procedure is is carried out on a day case basis and uses local anaesthetic. Recovery is very quick and patients are able to walk unaided to return home. There is no need for an overnight stay and patients can return to normal activities much faster. Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private varicose vein treatment including EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) with a vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

Other Varicose Vein Treatment

Cosmedics also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.