If you watched the Olympic Gamesyou have probably noticed that several athletes looked like they had been slapped by an octopus.
The medal-like body art seen on their bodies is not the suction cups of an octopus, nor the magical markings of a victor.
The perfectly rounded markings, often seen on the shoulders and back, are an ancient technique that can aid performance.
Read on to find out why athletes and some celebrities appear with these round marks on their bodies. !
When Michael Phelps won his first gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, his victory was temporarily overshadowed by the big purple dots on his back and shoulders.
The online community was abuzz with speculation as to what caused the perfectly formed circles on the Olympian’s body.
“There are crop circles on Michael Phelps’ back?” asks one Internet user, intrigued by these markings.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 09: Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates winning the Men’s 200m Butterfly Final during day four of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
“I had another fight with the vacuum cleaner at the car wash…” tweets a second user.
A third shared: “Michael Phelps probably fell asleep on his medals.”
Procedure in progress
Rio bronze medalist Alexander Naddour, a retired American artistic gymnast, and Belarusian swimmer Pavel Sankovich also made it to the podium with the special spots.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, American endurance swimmer Katie Ledecky won the bronze medal, and Italian Nicolò Martinenghi accepted the gold medal for the men’s 100 breaststroke. Both bore the mysterious markings on their bodies.
Although there seems to be a correlation between success and athletes wearing these marks, it is not the magic ink that ensures victory.
In fact, it’s an ancient therapy called cupping that’s gaining popularity among elite athletes and celebrities alike, thanks in part to the legendary Phelps.
The suction cup
In the ancient form of the therapy, believed to have originated in Egypt or China, air in a cup is heated before being placed on trigger points, creating suction in the area covered by the cup, causing a hematoma.
Some people claim that they feel a release of muscle tension after the session, but there isn’t much research to prove either way.
There are different methods of cupping:
- Dry cupping: This involves creating suction in the cups and placing them on the skin without making any incisions. The suction draws blood to the surface of the skin and is believed to help relieve muscle tension, pain, and inflammation.
- Wet Cupping: This method involves making small incisions in the skin before applying the cups. The suction then draws a small amount of blood. It is believed to promote detoxification and improve blood circulation.
- Fire cupping : This involves heating the inside of the cups with a flame before placing them on the skin. The heat creates a vacuum effect as the cups cool.
- Air Cupping : This method uses a mechanical pump to create suction in the cups, eliminating the need for heat.
The modern form of therapy, used by many athletes and celebrities, uses suction cups connected to suction pumps. The marks usually disappear within two weeks.
Relief
Former Olympic athlete Naddour has previously said that the compresses relieve pain and strain caused by gymnastics.
Addressing USA Today In 2016, Naddour said: “This is the secret that I have had throughout this year that keeps me healthy. It is better than all the money I have spent on anything else.”
Naddour, now a real estate agent in Arizona, adds: “Our bodies are going to suffer after doing this for so long. It’s the best thing I’ve ever had… It’s saved me a lot of pain.”
And Sankovich shares a post Instagram where we see his legs covered in suction cups: “That kind of Saturday morning. Compresses are a great recovery tool,” he writes.
Does it really work?
According to Dr. Michael Joyner, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, “Athletes are looking for any advantage – real or imagined – they can get.”
The doctor, who studies elite athletes, says there is no evidence that compresses work or not, which is also true for many common ideas about warming up and cooling down. The same is true for many ideas that are outside the box. Explaining the thought process of athletes willing to try anything new to ease discomfort, he continues: “There can be placebo effects for these kinds of things, and what I tell athletes is that if they think it helps them and there are no downsides, then if it makes them feel good, do it. The key is not to try anything new on competition day.”
Cupping therapy is used for people with all sorts of ailments, including shingles, facial paralysis, dizziness, menstrual disorders, coughs, breathing difficulties, and acne. But cupping therapy is most commonly used to treat pain.
It’s not just popular among athletes, celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kaley Cuoco, Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow have also shown off the same marks.
Have you experienced cupping? Let us know what you think of this story and share it with your friends so we can hear what others have to say!
