Ever wonder what those distinctive circular marks on Olympic swimmers actually do? You’ve probably seen them on athletes like Michael Phelps and thought about what cupping therapy really offers. Those purple-red circles have caught everyone’s attention, but cupping itself isn’t new at all. Ancient Egyptians were already using this therapy back in 1500 B.C..
Athletes today love cupping for good reasons – it can boost performance, ease pain, and help them bounce back faster. This practice started in traditional Chinese medicine but also took root in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Islamic cultures. The therapy works by helping your body break down toxins more quickly, which means shorter recovery times after tough training sessions. Dr. Joyner does point out that “There is no evidence pro-con that shows cupping works or does not work”, but athletes keep coming back for the better blood flow and quicker recovery they experience.
Ready to learn what cupping therapy actually is, why so many athletes swear by it, what benefits you might expect, and what the research tells us? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to decide if cupping might help your own training and recovery.
What is cupping therapy and how does it work?
Cupping therapy has been around for thousands of years, starting with ancient Chinese and West Asian healers. This traditional treatment works by creating suction on specific areas of your body using specially designed cups.
The basics of suction and negative pressure
Here’s how cupping works: your practitioner places cups on your skin and creates a vacuum that pulls your skin and tissue upward into the cup. You can get this vacuum two different ways – the traditional method heats the cup to remove oxygen, while the modern approach uses a mechanical pump. The cups themselves come in different materials like glass, plastic, bamboo, ceramic, metal, and silicone.
Types of cupping: dry, wet, and massage
You’ll find several cupping techniques that have developed over the centuries. Dry cupping is the simplest – cups stay in one spot on your skin for 3-5 minutes, creating suction without breaking the skin. Wet cupping (sometimes called Hijama) takes two steps: first, cups are applied briefly, then small incisions are made before putting the cups back on to draw out a small amount of blood. Running cupping (or massage cupping) uses oils or lotions so practitioners can slide the cups across your skin, creating a massage-like feeling.
How does cupping work on the body?
When those cups create suction on your skin, your body responds in several helpful ways. The negative pressure expands your blood vessels, boosting local blood circulation. This increased blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues while clearing out metabolic waste. The suction also draws fluid into the treated area, creating mild inflammation that kicks your body’s natural healing into gear.
Those circular marks you see after cupping? They come from tiny trauma to capillaries under your skin – think of them like bruises. Cupping might also help separate layers of fascia, breaking down sticky spots that cause tightness and discomfort. For athletes, these body responses can reduce muscle tension, calm inflammation, and speed up healing of overworked tissues.
Why athletes are turning to cupping therapy
Professional athletes around the world have made cupping therapy a key part of how they train and recover. Michael Phelps brought those telltale circular marks into the spotlight during the 2016 Olympics, and suddenly everyone wanted to know more about this ancient practice.
The rise of athlete cupping in modern sports
Elite athletes have really embraced cupping therapy in recent years. What makes it different from typical recovery methods like stretching, ice baths, and massage? Cupping helps fight muscle fatigue without any negative side effects. Athletes especially appreciate that it’s completely drug-free – no worries about breaking any doping rules while still getting real pain relief and better recovery. The practice has spread everywhere too, from swimming pools to basketball courts to football fields.
Olympians and professional endorsements
Michael Phelps became cupping’s biggest champion when his marks made headlines at the 2016 Rio Olympics. His coach, Keenan Robinson, actually got him started with cupping back in 2014 before the pan-Pacific championships. Plenty of other Olympic stars have jumped on board – gymnasts Alex Naddour and Aly Raisman, swimmers Dana Vollmer, Chase Kalisz, and Pavel Sankovich all use it. NBA teams now include cupping in their recovery programs, with players like Kyle Singler sharing how much it helps. Even NFL players like Akeem Spence have started using it.
Why do athletes do cupping before and after events?
Smart athletes time their cupping sessions just right. Before competing, cupping loosens up tight muscles and fascia, which means better movement and less chance of getting hurt. Robinson explains that Phelps gets cupping about twice a week to keep his fascia working smoothly, so his muscles can move the way they should. After events, the focus shifts to recovery – getting rid of waste products faster, calming down inflammation, and speeding up healing. For athletes who compete multiple times or have back-to-back training sessions, cupping cuts down on soreness and stiffness, so they can get back to work sooner.
Proven benefits of cupping for athletes
Athletes notice real improvements after cupping sessions, and these benefits usually stick around for several days. Regular treatments can build on these results. Recent research backs up many of the benefits athletes have been experiencing for years.
Improved blood circulation and oxygen delivery
Your blood flow gets a serious boost with cupping. Studies show blood flow can jump up to 16.7 times higher than normal when practitioners use higher pressure. This means fresh oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles much faster. The cups create negative pressure that opens up your blood vessels, getting your circulation moving in the treated areas. All that extra blood flow carries away the waste your muscles produce during hard training.
Faster muscle recovery and reduced soreness
Here’s what athletes really care about – getting back to training sooner. Cupping cuts down muscle fatigue in your biceps within 24 hours of treatment. The suction pulls out those waste products that make your muscles ache, so you don’t need as much time off between tough sessions. Athletes tell us they feel ready to train again much quicker after intense workouts, which means they can stick to their training plans better.
Enhanced flexibility and range of motion
Tight fascia holds you back, but cupping helps loosen those restrictions so you can move more freely. Better mobility means you’ll move more efficiently during your sport, which improves performance and cuts injury risk. When cupping releases those fascial restrictions, your joints work better and your whole movement quality improves.
Scar tissue breakdown and injury rehab
Dealing with an old injury? Cupping tackles scar tissue by boosting blood flow and stretching the affected area. The suction lifts skin and scar tissue better than most hands-on techniques. This stops scar tissue from sticking to healthy tissue underneath, which helps your long-term recovery.
Reduced inflammation and toxin removal
The suction triggers your body’s healing response, which actually helps reduce ongoing inflammation. Research shows cupping might change your blood chemistry – fewer lymphocytes but more neutrophils, creating an effect that fights viruses and reduces pain. The treatment might also help your lymphatic system work better, clearing out toxins and waste through improved circulation.
What science says about cupping therapy
The research on cupping therapy tells a mixed story, which can feel confusing when you’re trying to decide if it’s right for you. Traditional knowledge says it works, and science has found some promising signs, but there are also some important gaps to consider.
Studies on musculoskeletal pain relief
The good news is that research does show cupping can help with pain. Multiple studies found that cupping made a real difference in pain intensity compared to doing nothing at all. When researchers looked at specific problems, they found varying results. For low back pain, cupping showed clear improvements when measured 2-8 weeks after treatment. Neck pain studies were less consistent – some showed moderate benefits, others were less convincing. There’s also moderate evidence that cupping might ease knee osteoarthritis pain.
Evidence gaps and placebo considerations
Here’s where things get tricky. When scientists rated the quality of cupping studies, the results weren’t great. About 36% of studies had “critically low” quality, 50% were “low” quality, 7% were “moderate,” and only 7% met “high” quality standards. Most importantly, there’s no high-quality evidence proving cupping works for pain. When studies compared real cupping to fake cupping, the benefits often got smaller, which suggests the mind might play a bigger role than we’d like. One researcher put it simply: “If an athlete thinks it helps and there are no downsides, then, if it feels good, do it”.
Expert opinions from sports medicine
Medical experts have different views on cupping. Dr. Joyner from Mayo Clinic points out that “studying the physiological effects of cupping on Olympic athletes’ performance would be difficult because the change would likely be minimal”. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says cupping “may have some effect in reducing pain,” but they consider the current evidence “insufficient”. Some sports medicine doctors see value in cupping when it’s part of a bigger treatment plan, not used by itself. Mayo Clinic suggests that if you’re curious about cupping, find a practitioner who really knows what they’re doing.
Conclusion
Cupping therapy sits right between ancient wisdom and modern sports recovery methods. The research might be mixed, but athletes keep choosing this treatment because they feel real benefits. Those circular marks you see tell a story that many competitors find worth pursuing.
Michael Phelps certainly brought cupping into the spotlight, but he’s just one of many elite athletes who’ve made it part of their routine. They’re not chasing trends – they’re reporting genuine improvements in how quickly they recover, how flexible they feel, and how much less pain bothers them during training.
The way cupping works does make sense when you think about it. The suction opens up blood vessels, gets more oxygen flowing to your muscles, and helps clear out waste products. It also seems to help break up scar tissue and release tight areas that might be holding you back.
Here’s the thing though – the research quality varies quite a bit, and some of what people experience might be placebo effects. That doesn’t mean cupping is worthless, just that you shouldn’t expect it to solve everything on its own.
What we do know is that cupping carries very little risk when done properly. Those marks on Olympic athletes speak to something valuable, even if science is still catching up to fully explain it. If you’re thinking about trying cupping, find someone who really knows the practice and understands how it fits with modern sports training. You’ll want a practitioner who can guide you through both the traditional wisdom and what current research tells us.
Key Takeaways
Cupping therapy has evolved from ancient healing practice to modern sports recovery tool, offering athletes evidence-based benefits for performance and recovery enhancement.
• Enhanced circulation and recovery: Cupping increases blood flow up to 16.7 times normal levels, delivering oxygen to muscles while removing metabolic waste for faster recovery.
• Improved flexibility and pain relief: The negative pressure loosens tight fascia and breaks down scar tissue, increasing range of motion and reducing musculoskeletal pain.
• Strategic timing maximizes benefits: Athletes use cupping pre-competition to prepare muscles and post-event to accelerate healing and reduce soreness between training sessions.
• Scientific evidence shows promise with limitations: While studies demonstrate pain reduction benefits, research quality varies and placebo effects remain a consideration.
• Low-risk complement to training: Cupping offers a drug-free recovery method that elite athletes like Michael Phelps integrate into comprehensive training protocols without adverse effects.
The distinctive circular marks represent more than just visual evidence—they indicate physiological processes that many professional athletes find valuable for maintaining peak performance and consistent training schedules.
FAQs
Q1. How does cupping therapy benefit athletes? Cupping therapy can improve blood circulation, enhance muscle recovery, increase flexibility, and reduce inflammation. It may also help break down scar tissue and aid in injury rehabilitation.
Q2. Is cupping therapy scientifically proven to be effective? While some studies show promising results for pain relief and muscle recovery, the overall scientific evidence is mixed. More high-quality research is needed to fully validate its effectiveness.
Q3. Are there any risks associated with cupping therapy? Cupping therapy is generally considered low-risk when performed by a qualified practitioner. However, it may cause temporary bruising or skin discoloration at the treatment sites.
Q4. How long do the effects of cupping therapy last? The benefits of cupping therapy typically last for several days. Some athletes report feeling the effects for up to a week, especially with regular treatments.
Q5. Can cupping therapy be used before competitions? Yes, some athletes use cupping therapy before competitions to loosen tight muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance blood flow. However, it’s important to consult with a sports medicine professional to determine the best timing for individual needs.