Friday WTF. What's next, blood-letting?

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Another pseudo-scientific fad, or a revolutionary old-new re-discovered invention?

The bodies of a number of Rio Olympic athletes have been covered with red circles from cupping.

Presumably it helps increase blood flow and heal sore muscles. Remember those stripes of tape that athletes used to put on their muscles a few years ago? Seemed like another fad, which has come and gone. Anyone have some more insight into this new devilry here?

Comments

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

I'm more concerned about those green pools around Rio.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

As expected, (Russian) conspiracy theories (http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/09/russian-state-tv-by-using-homeopathic-cupping-michael-phelps-basically-doped/) ensue

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

I've always been amazed by the notion that if some practice is ancient, it must be very smart and useful. Blood-letting included. And all those New Age woos, too.

[garote]

Oh man... If bloodletting goes into style for athletes, I will probably laugh myself into the hospital...

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

At the current rate of sliding further down into stupider and stupider fancy fads, I wouldn't be surprised.

[garote]

Next up: luge participants will surgically remove their arms (to be reattached later)

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

In accordance with the neighboring topic about the robots.

[peamasii.livejournal.com]

My grandpa used to get that and the only things he competed in were rakia drinking, smoking and cursing.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

If he can perform like this 4 years from now, I'll start to believe. 8 years from now, I'll be sold on it.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

What if his performance is bolstered by other factors? You know that adage about correlation and causation...

[oportet.livejournal.com]

Well, if we rule out healthy diet and training hard - because everyone at his level does that, and also rule out PEDs - although I'm surprised it hasn't been suggested more - there isn't much left.

Whenever he hits that wall, he'll probably write a book and let us in on the secret.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Actually his advantages are inherently physiological (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/10768083/Michael-Phelps-The-man-who-was-built-to-be-a-swimmer.html).

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

All the anti-woo groups I'm in were talking about it over the last few weeks. There are some potentially serious side effects depending on how it's done (some folks heat the cups, and there have been cases where people have ended up with third-degree burns or other severe tissue damage because basically you are destroying blood vessels - giving yourself a giant hickey.) And, of course, there's no actual benefit to any of it. It's all complete nonsense based on acupuncture and the five elements ideas of ancient people who didn't know how bodies work. (kind of like how homeopathy is based on the disproven models of vitalism and bodily humours.)

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

And also the discredited theory about the memory of water. And the "like cures like". And also this:

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

I could see it having an 'accidental' effect.

(i.e. a real physiological effect, just not at all related to the stated theory of the practice)

I suspect something like the pain gating effect might be going on that's reducing the subjective experience of pain in the muscles in question.

[garote]

Next year they will be in the shape of corporate logos.