The red circular marks decorating many bodies in Rio can be credited to the alternative therapy du jour. Cupping has no scientifically proven benefits but for many athletes, that winning advantage is in the mind as much as the body
Why are so many Olympians mostly members of Team USA sporting big red circular marks on their bodies? The simple answer is that they are fans of cupping an alternative health technique that involves pressing hot jars on to the body. This creates suction, which is claimed to increase blood flow to those areas. The swimmers and gymnasts who use it say it helps relieve soreness in their battered bodies.
It would certainly help relieve overburdened wallets, but there is no evidence it does anything else. Eating jam out of those jars would probably have a more significant physical impact, though it might not be the most nutritionally savvy strategy.
But then again, this is the Olympics. Aside from proving that Olympians are just as credulous as celebrity cupping fans like Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow when it comes to pseudo-science, theres something more interesting at work here.
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