Several high-profile Olympic athletes have been seen sporting the telltale red circles on their bodies that result from a session of cupping, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy offered in many spas around the world.

Cupping involves heating a glass and then putting it on the skin, where it creates a vacuum and a suction effect. The therapy is centuries old, and is popular in many spas, where it is used to release muscle tension.

But the marks on the Olympic athletes – including US swimmer Michael Phelps, who posted a photo of himself receiving the treatment on Instagram – is raising the profile of the treatment, with many people asking what the marks are, and mainstream news outlets reporting on cupping and its effectiveness.

Phelps sported the bruises when he won a gold medal on Sunday night, causing many to ask what the marks were.

“I’ve done it before meets, pretty much every meet I go to,” said Phelps, speaking to the New York Times. “So I asked for a little cupping yesterday because I was sore and the trainer hit me pretty hard and left a couple of bruises.”