Rio 2016: It’s Not Blood Clots or Zika Infested Mosquito Bites but Cupping Therapy on Michael Phelps

Posted on 11 August 2016. Tags: 2016, Bites, Blood, Clots, Cupping, Infested, It's, Michael, mosquito, Phelps, therapy, Zika

American swimmer Michael Phelps claimed his second gold medal in one night and the 21st of his career as the United States won the men's 4×200 metres Olympic freestyle relay.
 
But it was the large purple marks on his body at Rio Olympics that was grabbing eyeballs rather than his gold medals.
 
Viewers first witnessed these marks when Phelps shed his clothes to compete in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday, going on to win his 19th Olympic gold.
 
Initially social media users claimed that it’s a symptom of the Zika virus but it turns out these marks are the result of a muscle treatment called ‘cupping therapy,’ that has become all the rage among athletes.
 
Athletes are using this therapy to relax their muscles which apparently improves their efficiency. 

The therapy consists of having round glass suction cups that are warmed, then placed on sore parts of the body. The placement of the glass cup creates a partial vacuum, which is believed to stimulate muscles and blood flow, while relieving pain.
 
Apart from Michael Phelps, US gymnast Alex Naddour and Belarus swimmer Pavel Sankovich have also posted pictures of their polka dotted limbs and backs. Let us tell you that most searches revealed that cupping is legal under IOC rules.
 
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