Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41646174›Full record

ArticleSports medicine and health science2026

Impact of wet and dry cupping therapy on endurance, perceived wellness, and exertion in recreational male runners.

Ismail Dergaa, Hatem Ghouili, Cain C T Clark, Morteza Taheri, Mohamed Saifeddin Fessi, Nizar Souissi, Noomen Guelmami, Mohamed Ben Aissa, Helmi Ben Saad, Katja Weiss and 2 more

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Article in Sports medicine and health science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Ismail DergaaHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saïd, University of Manouba, Manouba, 2010, Tunisia.
Hatem GhouiliHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, Jendouba, El Kef, Tunisia.
Cain C T ClarkCollege of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, UK.
Morteza TaheriDepartment of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Iran.
Mohamed Saifeddin FessiResearch Unit Physical Activity, Sport, and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport, Tunis, Tunisia.
Nizar SouissiCollege of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, UK.
Noomen GuelmamiHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, Jendouba, El Kef, Tunisia.
Mohamed Ben AissaHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, Jendouba, El Kef, Tunisia.
Helmi Ben SaadHeart Failure (LR12SP09) Research Laboratory, Farhat HACHED Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.
Katja WeissInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Beat KnechtleInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Lamia Ben EzzeddineHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saïd, University of Manouba, Manouba, 2010, Tunisia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Cupping therapy (CT), an ancient practice revived in modern sports medicine, offers potential benefits for athlete recovery and performance. Distinctions between wet CT (WCT) and dry CT (DCT) in sports science focus on their effects on recovery metrics, particularly how they influence sleep quality, perceived wellness, and athletic performance. Despite anecdotal evidence of its efficacy, rigorous comparative studies are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluates and compare the effects of WCT and DCT on endurance, perceived wellness, exertion levels, and sleep quality among young, active males, addressing the gap in the literature regarding CT's efficacy in sports performance and recovery. Methods: Thirty-two amateur runners were randomly divided into two groups: one followed WCT sessions and the other followed DCT sessions. The study assessed the interventions' impacts on endurance performance (Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and perceived exertion (Borg CR10 Scale). Heart rate was measured using a Polar H10 sensor to gauge physiological responses during physical tests. Results: Significant improvements were observed in the WCT group for sleep latency (% change ​= ​-82.31%; interaction group ​× ​time Conclusion: WCT may serve as an effective ergogenic aid for athletes by potentially improving sleep quality and reducing perceived exertion, thus contributing indirectly to performance through enhanced recovery.

Indexed as

Alternative medicineAthletic recoveryEnduranceFatigueMusculoskeletal painPerformance optimizationSleep enhancementSports medicine

Identifiers

PMID41646174
PMCPMC12869054

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.