RIO DE JANEIRO _ After Michael Phelps' smashing Rio debut Sunday, some Olympic viewers were apparently just as mesmerized by the purple splotches on his back as by his swimming.
The marks are the result of cupping therapy, an ancient Egyptian and Chinese technique for loosening the muscles and promoting blood flow. A therapist places a heated glass cup on the athlete's skin, and the resulting suction is believed to relax the body.
Phelps talked about his use of the therapy during a March appearance at the Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore. He said he and his training partners like to compete over who has the worst cupping bruises.
Other Olympians, such as U.S. men's gymnast Alex Naddour, are also using the technique.
Western doctors and researchers tend to be skeptical about the benefits of the treatment.
"Reports of successful treatment with cupping are mainly anecdotal rather than from research studies," according to the American Cancer Society as excerpted on WebMD.
But Phelps and his longtime conditioning coach, Keenan Robinson, are believers.
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