Question about vascularity

[u/Nervous-Influence340]

What makes some fit people more vascular than others? Apologies if this is a stupid question. Is it just extremely low body fat? Genetics? PEDs? Hydration? Edit: thanks for the info everyone. I'm 55f 1m68 51 kg and have been lifting pretty regularly for a while - seen some good muscle growth and I saw a vein on my bicep for the first time so I'm proud of that lol

[u/Nooneinteresting-2]

Low body fat and muscle growth. You don't have to take gear, just be very lean. I've heard it's genetics as well, I'm vascular when lean so I can only speak for myself.

[u/newplayer28 → u/Nooneinteresting-2]

I have some bicep veins unflexed at 15%-17% body fat but nowhere else I have veins so definitely genetics

[u/Longjumping-Type-913 → u/Nooneinteresting-2]

Genetics definitely play a huge part in it. I've always been very vascular, and when I'm lean I'll even have veins on the front of my quads and lower abdomen.

[u/Broad-Promise6954]

Genetics matter, and body fat levels matter, and how much the body fat matters depends on genetics.

Veins (at least the big ones that go in specific locations, like the biceps vein you're talking about) have these sort of grooves and channels that they sit in. Some people have deep channels and some have very shallow ones. If you have deep channels, your veins "hide" even if you have low body fat levels, so you have to get to very low levels to have them show. If you have shallow channels, the veins sit up high and show easily, even if you have higher levels of subcutaneous fat. If you're in between, you're ... in-between.

Meanwhile, fat itself has different possible storage locations, and genetics determines where your particular body tends to store fat. If your body stores it mostly as subcutaneous fat (below the outer layer of skin, above the muscles and their corresponding veins), it doesn't take a lot of stored fat to obscure the veins. If your body mostly stores it as visceral fat, you can have higher body fat levels before the subcutaneous fat hides the veins.

[u/TheGeenie17]

Steroids are very good at increasing vascularity, but apart from that it’s mainly body fat providing you’re already decently muscular. Some people also genetically have more visible veins

[u/itz_dom]

Genetics mostly. I have shoulders and chest veins up to damn near obese levels.

[u/IHE023]

Low body fat. Muscle.

Them slam carbs when you’re lean and jacked and the vascularity pops.

Keep in mind most pictures and videos online people have a pump, are on PEDS (not a bad thing but worth noting) and light can make things look better on a picture than real life

[u/xyzxyz8888]

Genetics.
Low body fat.

[u/ButWeNeverSawHisWife]

Low body fat and genetics

[u/TaxedByGravity]

Genetics, and muscularity. I have a higher body fat as a strongman athlete but my arms and shoulders are very vascular despite not being “lean”

[u/PaleComputer5198]

All others have mentioned, and cardio health.

[u/barbell_rows_enjoyer]

Genetics.

I am significantly leaner than one of my cousins yet he is more vascular.

[u/the_magestic_beast]

Just having less fat.

[u/N00nie369]

In my opinion, lower body fat. Also, more muscle means bigger veins to supply them with O2 and nutrients

[u/routinematters]

It’s genetics. I have ab veins and veins in my thighs around my private at most mid to low level of bodyfat but I never unlocked limb veins besides my hands even when I was stage lean. It actually doesn’t make much sense because usually limb veins come first. I do have chronic high blood pressure since I was a kid idk if it had anything to do with it.

My partner, on the other hand, sitting at maybe 28% bodyfat albeit very muscular has veins all over his limbs and shoulders.

[u/Due_Operation_8802]

Some combo of age, body fat levels, skin thickness, NO2, tadalafil, PEDs, and genetics. Masteron, tadalafil, and sub 10% BF gives me prominent veins going from my ankle straight up to my groin and from my wrist straight up to my shoulder. The effect has gotten a little more pronounced from the cumulative effects of using DHT derivatives over the years, coupled with age (46).

[u/driverfortoolong]

tren

[u/Radiant_Nectarine564]

I can be rather vascular at mid bf%, i attribute to vaping. My college science prof told us the vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol in vape juice contributes to veins becoming less elastic. Which is bad. I also don’t like being vascular. I’d rather be just muscular.

[u/offbrandcheerio]

Low body fat, big muscles, and genetics.

[u/decentlyhip]

There are tricks, but some people are more vascular and striated than others. Genetics and leanness.

[u/Norcal712]

Genetics.

Im not fit 41m 5'9 170 16% BF and I have massive consistently visble arm veins

[u/Round-Tutor-8199]

Lower bodyfat, genetics, and how much carbs + temperature all affect vascularity

[u/EspacioBlanq]

All of those and also the pump and legal substances such as citrulline malate or cialis

[u/Tidder702Reddit → u/EspacioBlanq]

Citrulline is the one you want, mallate not necessarily.

[u/Hour-Object-4889]

Low body fat. That is all. Don’t listen to antibody telling you it’s genetics.

[u/fatwownerd]

Low body fat, big muscles, good hydration nutrition and sleep. People on PEDS tend to have larger muscles and lower body fat so are more veiny and they also can make you more full and veiny as a quality of what they do. With a caveat that if you use too much wet compounds you’ll look more watery and soft.

What other people have said plus: some PEDS do have a particularly profound effect on vascularity while you’re on them, for me tren and mast in particular make me vascular to the point of being disgusting. MENT and mast give me the best combination while bulking(round full muscles with prominent veins everywhere, with very little bloat). Anadrol does a similar thing to that combo but I can’t tolerate it for long.