Those dark red spots dotting Olympians' shoulders and backs are not cigar burns. They're not perfectly¹ circular hickeys either. 

 

奥运健儿肩膀上和背上那些暗红色的印记可不是被烟头烫的，当然也不是圆形的吻痕。
 

 

Viewers watching the Olympics this weekend may have spotted² the pepperoni-like bruises³ on athletes and wondered: What is that? 

 

Olympians at Rio have taken to cupping -- an ancient therapy that have mostly been used in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, especially China. 

 

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 stimulate⁴ muscles and blood flow, while relieving pain.

 

Michael Phelps, US gymnast Alex Naddour and Belarus swimmer Pavel Sankovich have all posted pictures of their polka dotted limbs and backs. 

 

Sankovich wrote earlier this summer on his Instagram account: "Cupping is a great recovery tool," with a photo of his thighs⁵ covered in suction cups. Former Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin has also previously⁶ posted pictures of herself going through a cupping therapy. 

 

It's not the first time cupping has made the rounds. Celebrities⁷ like Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Simpson have all been spotted with the marks in previous years.

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