Olympic viewers might have been wondering what happened to Michael Phelps: How did he get the large, perfectly round bruises all over his back?
He and other Olympians are using an ancient technique to release tension in their muscles, USA Today reported.
In the technique, called cupping, a technician places glass domes on the skin and then pump air out of it, pulling the skin into the cup. The technique loosens muscles and tendons.
It can also be done by heating the domes, and placing on the skin, where a vacuum forms as they cool.
Cupping isn't new for Phelps. The gold medalist posted a photo of himself going through the therapy almost a year ago.
Phelps isn't alone.
"That's been the secret that I have had through this year that keeps me healthy," gymnast Alex Naddour told The New York Post. Naddour said that cupping works better than massages or cortisone shots.
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Natalie Coughlin also uses them, along with non-athletes.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston are said to use cupping, The Post reported.
But not all people are convinced that they work.
One person called cupping the new KT tape. The elastic therapeutic tape is used for muscle pain, but some say it is ineffective.
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