Last night as Michael Phelps won his 19th gold medal in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, many wondered: What are those purple circles on his arms and back? The marks, spotted on a number of Olympians, are the result of the holistic healing technique of cupping.
The practice dates back more than 2,000 years, according to Jill Blakeway, doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and founder of The YinOva Center in New York. She describes it as "massage in reverse," in which a suction cup is used on the skin to pull up aching muscles. There are typically two types of cups used, glass and (usually) plastic. With glass cups, flames vacuum the oxygen out of the cups, which are then are placed on affected areas. The more modern, typically plastic cups pull out air with individual suction pumps. The cups are left on for five to 10 minutes and, afterward, leave those familiar circular marks, which go away in two or three days and indicate improved blood flow to the area, Blakeway says.
"What happens is the suction draws fresh blood and lymph into the tissue and as the blood flow increases to all the little blood vessels, the tissue gets more nutrients and oxygen. That is why the athletes are using it to improve performance, because it reduces stiffness, reduces muscle cramps, removes scar tissue, and helps it heal quicker," Blakeway tells ELLE.com. "It's a very relieving, good sensation if you're an athlete with achy muscles."
Michael Phelps is clearly a big fan, even allowing teammates to perform cupping on him. The gymnastics team travels with portable cupping therapy kits as well. As U.S. men's gymnastics team captain Chris Brooks tells USA Today, "You're like, Okay, I'm sore here [...] Throw a cup on, and your roommate will help you or you can do it yourself."
Blakeway says the athletes' DIY cupping is safe so long as they're not using the flame technique. "I think it's fine. They're not using the fire cups, which take a little bit of skill—you wouldn't want to burn anyone. I think a licensed acupuncturist is probably very good at placing them, however," she says. "We would put them in places where there are trigger points."
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Gymnast Alex Naddour has been outspoken about the therapeutic practice, calling cupping "the secret that I have had through this year that keeps me healthy." His kit was $15 and he claims "it's been better than any money I've spent on anything else."
See how cupping works, step by step, in this video from The YinOva Center:
