Why am I more vascular on my diet cheating days?

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

I normally pig out on pizza, french fries, and doughnuts on my cheat days. By the end of the day I look pretty damn vascular. I'm sitting here noticing veins popping out in my quads that normally don't show at all. Does this have something to do with loading up on carbs?

 

[FREAKZILLA1]

when you carb load like that after a carb defecit....your glycogen stores fill up and your muscles bulge out causing your veins to bulge out. i love that shit! end of the day on a cheat day and look in the mirror all swole up.

 

[AlbinoAssassin]

Increased vascularity is caused by an increase in body temp and metabolism. Any large meal will increase your vascularity, I think it has something to do with the insulin coarsing through your system. I have always noticed this effect too, it's awesome. When on a diet your body temp can decrease, when you throw in a big meal your metabolism gets stoked like crazy. It's a beautiful thing. I would like to hear other people's responses/theories as to why vascularity increases in this situation.

 

[junk]

Damn, this is so true!! I never told anyone about it cause I thought it's silly. But I really notice veins popping out like crazy after I pig out!

 

[FREAKZILLA1]

Increased vascularity is caused by an increase in body temp and metabolism. Any large meal will increase your vascularity, I think it has something to do with the insulin coarsing through your system. I have always noticed this effect too, it's awesome. When on a diet your body temp can decrease, when you throw in a big meal your metabolism gets stoked like crazy. It's a beautiful thing. I would like to hear other people's responses/theories as to why vascularity increases in this situation.

yeah, the insulin seems to have something to do with it. another words exogenous or carb spiked. i notice a similar effect by days end when i'm on a insulin/workout day. kind of like a "carb-up/pigout" day when on restricted calories. It is probably a combo of many of these effects.....all boiling down to increased carb intake causes swollen muscle and bulging veins. i also notice when its cold, the veins aren't as prevalent. yet when i am hot (whether from stims or just the weather) the veins bulge out much more. so there is something to the body temp thing one way or the other.

 

[biggerthanu450]

The increased vascularity is due to the plasma volumizing effect of having an elevated blood sugar.
When blood sugar is elevated your plasma volume expands in an effort to dilute the blood, causing enhanced vascularity. There is also an increase in BP during the carbing up process; this is due to a release of catecholamines (adrenaline) and and increase in blood volume. After about 3 or 4 days of carbing up glycogen stores will be full, and this will cause a dramatic increase in fullness.

 

[AlbinoAssassin]

Yeah, Freakzilla you're right, even if it's hot outside and your sweating you will be more vascualr. In the winter when it's cold, it's hard to get the vascularity to stand out as much. I can actually feel when I am vascular, it almost feels like a pump I would get from lifting. It seems to hit me like a hot flash (no, I am not a woman going through menopause). It's strange, but I dig it! Biggerthanu450, that explanation makes sense, it definitely feels like there is some adrenaline coarsing through your system. I didn't think about the plasma volume mechanism, that's good stuff.

 

[swampmoose]

re

you should try some ala with that.

 

[rrwwdd]

This is the idea behind carb depleting, and carbing up prior to competition. Brings out the vascularity, small amounts of sugar or alcohol will do the same. Try no water for 36 hours then carb up and see the veins. By the way this only last about 18 hours and will not repeat for several days until you have carb depleted again.

 

[FREAKZILLA1]

Yeah, Freakzilla you're right, even if it's hot outside and your sweating you will be more vascualr. In the winter when it's cold, it's hard to get the vascularity to stand out as much. I can actually feel when I am vascular, it almost feels like a pump I would get from lifting. It seems to hit me like a hot flash (no, I am not a woman going through menopause). It's strange, but I dig it!

yeah, i noticed this due to my jobs. my delivery job i am in the heat walking around in the sun here in south FL.....so i stay vascular. you can see the veins in my arms bulging in the window as i walk up to the place i'm going into. then i go to my p/t job at GNC and put the A/C on like 65 degrees, lol, and i got almost no veins to speak of....at least until i start moving around, then they come out a little bit. pretty sick that we actually figure this stuff out huh? and yeah, that vascularity feels nice when you let your arms hang down to your side and the veins are full of blood, does feel like a pump.