Surprising as it may seem, venous insufficiency is extremely common among athletes and is frequently the cause of decreased performance. Venous insufficiency arises out of a weakness or dysfunction in the valve system in the lower extremity veins. Although we don’t commonly think of healthy athletes as having circulatory problems, the truth is most athletes do suffer from the consequences of venous insufficiency without even knowing it. Heaviness, sluggishness, tiredness, tautness and leg pain are all too often attributed to muscle pain and not underlying the venous insufficiency.
Venous reflux in the athlete originates from the same causes found in the general population but is made dramatically worse by aggressive training and competitive performance. There is even evidence that some intense forms of exercise such as distance running, weight training, and competitive cycling can actually cause venous reflux by placing enormous repetitive stress on leg veins. For most women, this reflux usually begins around the time of pregnancy and becomes progressive with an athletic lifestyle, while for most men, there is a familial history and likely an occupation that requires prolonged standing or heaving physical lifting. The common theme for all is that once venous reflux is present, aggressive athletic training creates progressive venous hypertension and secondary side effects of elevated pressure and venous pooling.
To help combat venous congestion that has built-up during exercise, athletes should take certain measures:
• Walk or perform toe raises in the shallow end of a swimming pool – this is the best post-exercise therapy to activate the calf muscle pump, the strongest driving force of the venous circulation, while eliminating some of the gravity effect
• Leg elevation and calf muscle activations against resistance bands
• Wearing compression garments while training – experts believe this will counterbalance the venous hypertension that builds up during exercise while preventing leg swelling and decreasing the amount of venous blood trapped in the legs. (This has also been shown to improve recovery times!)
• Minimally invasive vein therapy – the most definitive way for an athlete with venous insufficiency to achieve better performance and healthier legs while training and competing is to treat the underlying cause of venous reflux. This is the most durable, long term method available to alleviate the harmful effects of venous hypertension in the athlete while decreasing the need for external compression garments.
Central Florida Vein and Vascular Center is accredited as a diagnostic center by the American College of Radiology, the standard of excellence for ultrasound diagnostics. This accreditation process requires significant time, resources and commitment to standards of care that come naturally to us. Don’t accept less than the best care. The specialists at Central Florida Vein and Vascular Center offer the most current, effective, and well tolerated technology.
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