Had you observed athletes have been photographed with large red circles on their skin? What are they, and why everyone is going dotty over them? One of the most decorated Olympic athletes of all time Michael Phelps also had these circles on his shoulders.

They are not love bites or paintballing misadventures; they are the result of a process known as ‘Cupping’, which is an ancient therapy where heated cups are placed on the skin. Especially Swimmers and Gymnasts particularly from the USA are among those who sport the red dots.

How Cupping is done?

“The process of cupping is a form of acupuncture, which is done by lighting flammable liquid in a glass cup. The flame burns away the oxygen in the cup, which creates a vacuum. Once the flame goes out, the vacuum creates suction which sticks the cup to the body.”

As the temperature drops in the cup, this sucks the skin away from the body and draws blood to the surface. This red spot lasts 3-4 days.

Why few athletes use them?

Many say that they are using it to comfort aches and pains which help them recover from the physical toil of endless training and competing. There are many more recovery techniques like sports massage, sauna, ice baths and compression garments. US Gymnast Alex Naddour said that Cupping was “better than any money I’ve spent on anything else”.

Does it work? How it Works?

Cupping deals in recovering many ailments such as muscle problems, pain relief, fertility issues, etc. although none of the claims have been proven scientifically.

Watch The Process Of Cupping Here:

Mr. Long, who has practised cupping for 20 years, says the idea is to help the flow of energy – known as traditional Chinese medicine as “qi” – around the body, and rebalance its equilibrium – “Ying and Yang”. The darker the mark left by the cup, the poorer the blood circulation is in that part of the body.

Also Read: Why Do Olympic Athletes Put Weird Tape On Their Body? Here Is The Reason!