There is no better image for the promotion of quack remedies than athletes. Many are easy targets for lucky gizmos and are willing to try anything that might provide that tiny edge that makes the difference between coming in first versus second. In the process they send the wrong message to an adoring fan base that want to be like they in terms of health and physical fitness.
This year the most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps showed up with a lot of large, circular bruises from alt-med practice known as “cupping.” The NBC announcer explain that suction of heated glass bowls applied to the skin was reported to increase blood flow in the area thereby improving healing.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/what-are-the-purple-dots-on-michael-phelps-cupping-has-an-olympic-moment/ar-BBvnIHU?li=BBnb7Kz
Unfortunately, not only does this practice have no medical or scientific basis, but it can be quite dangerous, causing burns and infections. See this post from David Gorski
In some of the coverage during the run-up to the games, some athletes have been extolling what they see as the benefits of other pseudo-scientific treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture, etc.
For more read https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/cupping-olympic-pseudoscience/#more-43230
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