Do Sumos Eat Healthy? Debunking the Myth of Junk Food Diets

December 20, 2025 •

4 min read

Despite common misconceptions, some studies indicate that elite sumo wrestlers, while consuming extremely high-calorie diets, often maintain surprisingly low levels of visceral fat due to their intense training regimen. The question of whether sumo wrestlers eat healthy is complex and requires a look beyond their massive size to the quality of their food and their athletic lifestyle.

Quick Summary

The sumo diet is built on large quantities of nutrient-rich food like chankonabe stew, not junk food. Wrestlers consume thousands of calories daily, strategically timed around strenuous training and naps to promote massive weight gain. This regimen, while building strength, poses long-term health risks after retirement when training ceases.

Key Points

Chankonabe is the dietary foundation: Sumo wrestlers consume a traditional, nutrient-dense hotpot stew called chankonabe rather than junk food.
Strategic meal timing: They skip breakfast and consume two very large meals a day, strategically timed around strenuous training and naps to promote maximum weight gain.
Low visceral fat (during active career): Intense physical training helps active wrestlers maintain surprisingly low levels of harmful visceral fat, reducing some risks associated with obesity.
High protein, not just high calories: The diet is rich in protein from sources like chicken, fish, and tofu, essential for building the significant muscle mass required for their sport.
Long-term health risks: After retiring and stopping their intense training, wrestlers face significant health risks, including diabetes and heart disease, with a reduced life expectancy.
Massive caloric intake: While the food is healthy in composition, the sheer quantity of calories consumed (often 5,000-10,000+ per day) is extreme and unsustainable for long-term health.

A Closer Look at the Sumo Diet: More Than Just Calories

The average person might assume a sumo wrestler's diet consists of fast food and high-sugar snacks to fuel their massive frames. However, this perception is a far cry from reality. The cornerstone of a sumo wrestler's nutritional intake is a hearty, protein-packed stew called chankonabe. This traditional dish, prepared daily within the sumo stables (heya), is meticulously crafted to be highly nutritious and calorie-dense, not filled with empty calories.

Chankonabe: The Nutritious Foundation

Chankonabe is the ultimate one-pot meal for a sumo wrestler. It provides a dense combination of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables, designed to support their intense training and recovery needs. The ingredients can vary widely depending on the stable, season, and available resources, but a typical pot includes:

Protein Sources: Chicken, fish, tofu, or beef. Many stables prefer chicken, as the superstition holds that it keeps the wrestler 'on two feet' like a chicken, avoiding a loss.
Vegetables: A medley of fresh vegetables like bok choy, daikon radish, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and onions. These provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Broth: A rich and flavorful broth, often seasoned with miso, dashi, or soy sauce.
Carbohydrates: Served with vast quantities of rice or noodles to boost the caloric intake significantly.

The Strategic Approach to Eating

Sumo wrestlers do not simply eat all day long; their diet is a carefully managed process designed to maximize weight gain and strength. Their eating schedule and habits are fundamentally different from a typical Western diet and are a major factor in their size.

Skipping Breakfast: Wrestlers begin their day with a grueling morning training session on an empty stomach. This is a strategic move to lower their metabolism, priming their body for fat storage later.
Massive Lunch: After training, they consume their largest meal of the day, with junior wrestlers serving the seniors first. They eat until they are completely stuffed, often consuming many bowls of chankonabe along with rice and side dishes.
The Nap: Immediately after their enormous lunch, wrestlers take a long nap. This promotes the efficient storage of the massive caloric intake as both muscle and fat.
Second Meal: A similar, large meal is consumed in the evening, sometimes accompanied by beer, further adding to the caloric surplus.

Comparison: A Sumo Diet vs. A Standard Healthy Diet


Feature	Sumo Wrestler's Diet	Standard Healthy Diet
Primary Goal	Maximize weight gain and strength for sport	Optimal health, balanced nutrition
Daily Calories	5,000 to 10,000+	~2,000-2,500 (varies)
Nutrient Density	High (focused on protein and vegetables)	High (balanced macronutrients)
Meal Frequency	Two extremely large meals daily	3-5 smaller, balanced meals
Training Context	Immediately follows intense exercise	Before or after exercise, timed for energy
Macronutrient Ratio	High protein, high carbohydrates	Balanced carbohydrates, proteins, fats
Fluid Intake	Often includes beer, contributing empty calories	Focuses on water for hydration
Snacks	Prohibited in many stables	Encouraged for stable energy levels

Short-Term Health vs. Long-Term Consequences

In the short term, elite sumo wrestlers can be surprisingly healthy despite their weight. The combination of a nutrient-dense diet and relentless, intense training helps them build significant muscle mass alongside the necessary body fat. Regular exercise helps to minimize the harmful visceral fat that typically causes health problems associated with obesity. This unique physiological adaptation allows them to compete at the highest level without suffering from the immediate effects of severe obesity.

However, the story changes dramatically upon retirement. When the intense training regime stops, the lifelong habit of consuming enormous quantities of food often persists. The combination of a sedentary lifestyle and a high-calorie diet leads to a buildup of dangerous visceral fat. Consequently, retired wrestlers are at a significantly increased risk for conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, leading to a much shorter life expectancy than the average Japanese male.

Conclusion

So, do sumos eat healthy? The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. The core of their diet, chankonabe, is a remarkably nutritious, protein- and vegetable-rich stew. They avoid the processed junk food that many assume is part of their intake. However, the sheer quantity of food, the strategic timing of their meals, and the consumption of alcohol are all factors manipulated for the specific, and ultimately unhealthy, goal of massive weight gain. While their extreme physical activity can mask the negative effects during their competitive years, the long-term health consequences upon retirement reveal the true toll of this extreme, yet highly traditional, dietary and lifestyle regimen.

For an in-depth look at the daily routines and diets within a sumo stable, a compelling resource is available at Kids Web Japan, which outlines a day in the life of a sumo wrestler, including their eating habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main food in a sumo wrestler's diet is chankonabe, a hearty Japanese hotpot stew packed with protein from sources like chicken or fish, along with a wide variety of vegetables and often served with large amounts of rice.

Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast to train on an empty stomach. This lowers their metabolism, preparing their bodies to store the massive caloric intake from their large, post-training meals more efficiently as fat.

While the core foods like chankonabe are nutritious, the diet as a whole is unhealthy due to the extreme quantities of calories, strategic weight gain tactics, and consumption of beer. The most severe health problems typically arise after retirement when the intense training stops.

No, traditional sumo wrestlers do not eat junk food. Their diet focuses on fresh, nutrient-dense ingredients in massive quantities. Processed food and sugary snacks are often forbidden in the training stables.

Active sumo wrestlers undergo a rigorous training schedule that builds significant muscle mass and keeps visceral fat low. The combination of intense exercise and a high-protein diet allows them to be powerful athletes, not just heavy individuals.

Upon retirement, many wrestlers face serious health issues. Without the intense training to counteract their lifelong high-calorie intake, they become susceptible to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, leading to a shorter life expectancy.

Beer is often consumed with evening meals to further increase the daily caloric intake with 'empty calories.' This contributes significantly to the strategic weight gain required for the sport.