Cupping therapy does not improve quadriceps muscle pain and fatigue intensity, perceived recovery, and vertical jump height after running: A randomized clinical trial

Background: The relationship between running training load and adaptation is complex. Cupping therapy has gained attention as a potential recovery strategy in recent years. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of cupping therapy in enhancing recovery among runners. Methods: A randomized clinical trial with a 72-h follow-up was conducted. The experimental group received 5 min of cupping therapy on the quadriceps, and the control group received sham hip and knee joint mobilization post-running. The outcomes evaluated were muscle pain and fatigue intensity (Numeric Visual Analog Scale), perceived recovery (Perceived Global Effect Scale), and unipodal vertical jump height (My Jump 2 app). Differences between groups were analyzed using generalized estimation equations. Results: Eighty-one recreational runners were included. No significant differences were observed between groups for muscle pain (-0.61, 95% CI:-1.35 to 0.14), fatigue intensity (-0.38, 95% CI:-1.21 to 0.45), perceived recovery (0.11, 95% CI:-0.54 to 0.75), or vertical jump height (0.75, 95% CI:-1.99 to 3.49). Conclusion: Post-running cupping therapy does not improve recovery outcomes in recreational runners, raising doubts about its choice in clinical practice.