Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps is already the most decorated Olympian of all time, and today he added to his tally at the Rio Olympic Games with a staggering 19th gold medal, his 23rd Olympic medal overall.
The icon took Team USA to a win in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, giving them a victory over perennial rivals France. With team USA trailing France early on, it was Phelps who, with a quick split time, not only decimated the deficit, but also took his side into the lead.
But viewers couldn’t help but notice that the swimmer had dark red marks that resembled bruises all over his body, which left many wondering what they were. Was he hurt before the Olympics in some way? Did he suffer an accident of some sort?
The answer, thankfully, is a lot less worrying: the marks are the result of a healing and conditioning practice called ‘cupping’.
A form of Chinese medicine that claims to relax muscles and reduce physical pain, cupping, as the name suggests, involves glass cups. These cups are heated and placed on the body, where they create a localized suction on the surface of the skin. This, according to practitioners, is said to stimulate the flow of blood, helping to treat pain.
Many claim that cupping reduces muscle strain, which is why it is used as physical therapy by a number of athletes – including Phelps’ teammates.
Although it is used by athletes, actors and laypersons alike, it is not clear just how effective cupping is, with no scientific studies backing up its efficacy.
The practice is said to have somewhat of a placebo effect for pain relief.
So Phelps is unhurt and unstoppable at the moment, no matter how his body looks like. Can he keep creating more history at the Rio Olympics, aided by his mysterious training techniques?
