Michael Phelps of the US is seen with a red cupping mark on his shoulder as he competes in the Men's
4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final at the 2016 Rio
4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final at the 2016 Rio
Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 7, 2016
These red circles are the result of a practise called ‘cupping.’ Cupping is a centuries old physical therapy where hot cups are placed on the body and it raises the skin. It is a form of acupuncture. The way it works is by lighting a flammable liquid in a glass cup
instagram / @m_phelps00
When the flame goes out in the cup the temperature drop creating suction which sticks the cups to the body and it suctions the skin away from the body up into the cup. It is said that this promotes blood flow and gets rid of toxins. It is slightly painful though and leaves those red spots for a couple of days.
Athletes are using the ancient physical therapy to ease their aches and pains. Also to help their bodies recover faster from the physical toll their intense constant training and competing is having on them.
Some athletes swear by cupping as one of their recovery methods. The suctioning is believed to stimulate the flow of blood and lymph to affected areas.
Also, Anox says, "Cupping makes a difference because it pulls things up instead of pushing them down. It releases some of the lactic acid and loosens some of the muscles and ligaments."
Not everyone has good things to say about the treatment, though. Some doctors question its efficacy.
But the ritual of what they do to recover from workouts can be just as important for athletes as the science.
"I had a doctor email me and say ‘this is not as helpful as you think’ and medically he had some questions about it," says Anox. "But — if you’re an athlete, even if it had no physical impact but somehow helped your mentality about your sport, than I think they would argue that it still has value."
Credit:
If you watched the Olympics this weekend, you probably noticed the purple circles on swimmer Michael Phelps, and some members of the US men's gymnastics team.Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters
These red circles are the result of a practise called ‘cupping.’ Cupping is a centuries old physical therapy where hot cups are placed on the body and it raises the skin. It is a form of acupuncture. The way it works is by lighting a flammable liquid in a glass cup
When the flame goes out in the cup the temperature drop creating suction which sticks the cups to the body and it suctions the skin away from the body up into the cup. It is said that this promotes blood flow and gets rid of toxins. It is slightly painful though and leaves those red spots for a couple of days.
Athletes are using the ancient physical therapy to ease their aches and pains. Also to help their bodies recover faster from the physical toll their intense constant training and competing is having on them.
2016 Rio Olympics - Swimming - Final - Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final - Olympic Aquatics
Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 07/08/2016. Michael Phelps (USA) of USA congratulates teammate
Nathan Adrian (USA) after they won.
Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 07/08/2016. Michael Phelps (USA) of USA congratulates teammate
Nathan Adrian (USA) after they won.
Credit:
Athit Perawongmeth/Reuters
Cupping is not only used by athletes though, it is useful for anyone. Celebrities that have been photographed with the tell tale red circle marks are Justin Bieber, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, and Gwyneth Paltrow who is known for her love of natural healing methods. It is widely available at a lot of beauty parlours and spas. Cupping is not dangerous, the redness is caused by the blood being drawn to the surface and capillaries bursting.
Some athletes swear by cupping as one of their recovery methods. The suctioning is believed to stimulate the flow of blood and lymph to affected areas.
Also, Anox says, "Cupping makes a difference because it pulls things up instead of pushing them down. It releases some of the lactic acid and loosens some of the muscles and ligaments."
Not everyone has good things to say about the treatment, though. Some doctors question its efficacy.
But the ritual of what they do to recover from workouts can be just as important for athletes as the science.
"I had a doctor email me and say ‘this is not as helpful as you think’ and medically he had some questions about it," says Anox. "But — if you’re an athlete, even if it had no physical impact but somehow helped your mentality about your sport, than I think they would argue that it still has value."
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