The world watched in awe as Michael Phelps—the most decorated Olympian in history—added another five gold medals to his record-breaking tally at the Rio Games in 2016. This he did with conspicuous purple bruises across his back and shoulders, caused by cupping therapy. Today, it’s so common for an elite athlete to fraternize with pseudoscience, it gets lost in the small print of the back page news. But Phelps is no ordinary athlete. He’s won more gold medals than anyone in history. He has over five million followers on social media. His views on training and recovery hold tremendous sway, and his unwitting endorsement of cupping thrust the ancient Chinese therapy into the modern spotlight.

The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science BOOK: https://www.nbtiller.com

Skeptical Inquirer magazine: https://www.skepticalinquirer.org

Original article & references: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/phelps-dives-deeper-into-the-pseudoscience-of-cupping/

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