Michael Phelps and many other Olympic athletes use cupping...
but what does cupping really do for them?
Cupping is an ancient Chinese technique that athletes say helps relieve muscle soreness and speed recovery by increasing blood flow. Cupping often causes bruising as seen on many Olympic athletes including U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, U.S. 400 meter runner LaShawn Merritt, U.S. gymnast Alex Naddour, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Bieber and Samuel L. Jackson.
But does cupping really work?
But does cupping really work?
Cupping is said to create "negative pressure on the muscles" or is called "myofascial decompression therapy" by proponents. The red or purple dots on the athletes body's are bruises caused by capillaries beneath the skin rupturing. The International Cupping Therapy Association says on their website: "The pulling action engages the parasympathetic nervous system, thus allowing a deep relaxation to move through the entire body."
The limited scientific studies on cupping show mixed results but some athletes swear by it. So what does cupping really do?
- Is there a real physiological benefit to cupping?
- Or a positive placebo effect from cupping?
- Or no benefit at all?
- Or does cupping cause a negative effect and actually hurt performance and recovery?
Athletes use cupping on their backs most commonly. The same is true for massage therapy. Why? Olympic athletes, couch potatoes, and most people in between feel stress, tension, and pain in the muscles of the mid-back, upper back, shoulders, and upper traps on a regular basis. Massage and cupping can offer relief to these muscles (even if temporary).
Why do the muscles of the upper back and traps get more stressed, sore, and painful than other muscles? It has to do with posture.
Why do the muscles of the upper back and traps get more stressed, sore, and painful than other muscles? It has to do with posture.
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Michael Phelps and the two people above all have similar postures in the upper body: forward head, rounded shoulders, and excessive thoracic flexion. This posture lengthens the muscles of the upper back and neck putting them under increased tension, but the forward position of the upper body also puts the muscles under increased demand or work. This combination of the muscles being overly lengthened and constantly contacted causes ischemia (inadequate blood flow) and muscle pain. Getting a massage, stretching the effected muscles, or doing cupping offers temporary relief from the muscle fatigue and pain, but doesn't do anything about the cause of the problem.
The cause of the problem is the poor postural position of the thoracic spine, shoulders, and head. Until the faulty posture is corrected the muscle pain and tension will continue to return.
Does cupping increase blood flow? Maybe yes and no. Cupping does pull blood to the area being cupped, but the rupturing of blood vessels that cause the bruising will have a overall negative effect on blood and nutrients getting into and out of tissues.
The cause of the problem is the poor postural position of the thoracic spine, shoulders, and head. Until the faulty posture is corrected the muscle pain and tension will continue to return.
Does cupping increase blood flow? Maybe yes and no. Cupping does pull blood to the area being cupped, but the rupturing of blood vessels that cause the bruising will have a overall negative effect on blood and nutrients getting into and out of tissues.
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Blood is made up of white blood cells (leukocytes - the first responders of our immune system), red blood cells (erythrocytes - our oxygen carrying cells), and platelets (thrombocytes - helps with blood clotting and immune defense) suspended in plasma (which also carries lipids, sugars, antibodies, proteins, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals). The blood that escapes the ruptured capillaries is wasted blood along with all it's contents. The red and white blood cells die and are broken down under the skin (causing the changing colors of a bruise). The vitamins, minerals, lipids, sugars, hormones, etc are not able to reach the intended cells to help with growth and repair. Waste products carried in the blood are dumped into the surrounding tissues. Our body is wasting precious energy doing cleanup instead of helping the athlete recover faster. All of this means cupping is actually slowing cellular recovery and decreasing performance.
So does cupping really work? If "work" means temporarily pain relief then the answer is maybe yes. If "work" means fix the reason why the pain is there and speed recovery then the answer is no.
So does cupping really work? If "work" means temporarily pain relief then the answer is maybe yes. If "work" means fix the reason why the pain is there and speed recovery then the answer is no.
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