How many calories a day do sumos eat?

January 13, 2026 •

3 min read

Sumo wrestlers, known for their immense size, consume a prodigious number of calories daily to maintain their formidable physique. A typical sumo wrestler's diet can range from 7,000 to over 10,000 calories per day, concentrated into two large meals. This disciplined, high-calorie intake is a deliberate strategy to aid in rapid weight gain and muscle development, paired with a rigorous training regimen.

Quick Summary

The strategic diet of a sumo wrestler, focusing on caloric surplus and a large, nutrient-rich stew called chankonabe, is designed to support intense training. By skipping breakfast and eating two massive meals, wrestlers intentionally slow their metabolism to maximize weight gain. Their specialized eating and sleeping habits are integral to building the necessary bulk for competition.

Key Points

High Caloric Intake: A sumo wrestler's diet consists of 7,000 to over 10,000 calories daily to build maximum body mass.
Two Large Meals: Wrestlers consume their calories in two massive sittings per day, skipping breakfast to slow down their metabolism.
Chankonabe is a Staple: The main dish is a protein-rich, vegetable-filled hot pot stew called chankonabe, which is easy to consume in large quantities.
Immediate Napping: After eating, sumo wrestlers take long naps to convert calories into fat and muscle mass more efficiently.
Not an Unhealthy Diet: Despite common misconceptions, the core of the sumo diet is nutrient-dense, healthy food, consumed in enormous volumes.
Long-term Health Risks: After retirement, wrestlers must dramatically change their diet to mitigate risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The Strategic Sumo Diet Explained

Unlike an average person's diet, a sumo wrestler's eating plan is a meticulously crafted part of their training. It is not about eating unhealthy junk food, but about consuming vast quantities of nutrient-dense meals at specific times to promote maximum weight gain. The core of this diet is the timing and the volume of food, which work in concert with their demanding physical training.

Chankonabe: The Heart of the Sumo Meal

The most important dish in a sumo wrestler's diet is chankonabe, a hearty, protein-rich stew. This stew is a cornerstone of life in the heya, or sumo stable, and is prepared and served by the junior wrestlers. The recipe for chankonabe varies from stable to stable and can be customized based on what is in season, but it is always packed with high-quality ingredients.

Key ingredients typically include:

Protein: Chicken, fish, tofu, or beef, often used in large quantities.
Vegetables: Napa cabbage, carrots, daikon radish, green onions, and mushrooms for vitamins and fiber.
Broth: A savory base made from dashi or chicken stock, seasoned with soy sauce or miso.
Carbohydrates: Served with massive bowls of rice or noodles to boost the calorie count.

Chankonabe is highly efficient for bulk-building because it's a hot pot, making it easier for wrestlers to consume immense amounts of food without feeling full as quickly.

The Daily Eating and Training Cycle

A sumo wrestler's day revolves around a two-meal eating schedule designed to slow metabolism and maximize fat storage.

Morning Training: The day begins early, around 5:00 a.m., with an intense training session that lasts for several hours, all performed on an empty stomach. Skipping breakfast forces their bodies into a calorie-conserving state.
First Massive Meal: After training, the wrestlers sit down for their first meal, which is often a large communal lunch of chankonabe, accompanied by a variety of side dishes like rice, fried foods, and beer. The volume of food is immense, with wrestlers consuming many bowls of the stew.
Naptime: Following this huge meal, wrestlers immediately take a long nap, which encourages the body to convert the large caloric intake directly into fat and muscle mass.
Second Massive Meal: The evening consists of another large meal, similar to lunch, to further pack on the calories before a long period of sleep.

The Calorie Comparison: Sumo vs. Average Person

To put a sumo wrestler's daily intake into perspective, it's useful to compare it to the recommended daily calories for an average, active adult.


Aspect	Sumo Wrestler (Daily)	Average Adult Male (Daily)	Average Adult Female (Daily)
Caloric Intake	7,000–10,000+ calories	~2,500 calories	~2,000 calories
Meal Frequency	Two large meals	Three meals, plus snacks	Three meals, plus snacks
Primary Meal	Chankonabe stew, rice, beer	Diverse, balanced meals	Diverse, balanced meals
Metabolic Strategy	Intermittent fasting (skipping breakfast), napping after meals to slow metabolism and promote storage	Regular food intake to maintain consistent energy levels	Regular food intake to maintain consistent energy levels
Purpose of Diet	Strategic weight and muscle gain for competition	Maintenance of healthy body weight and energy levels	Maintenance of healthy body weight and energy levels

The Health Implications of the Sumo Diet

While the sumo diet is effective for its intended purpose—building immense bulk for competition—it is not without long-term health consequences. The combination of massive calorie intake, intermittent fasting, and immediate napping is a deliberate strategy for weight gain, not a plan for long-term health.

Despite the rigorous training and generally healthy ingredients in their main dish, the sheer quantity of food and the lifestyle can take a toll. Upon retirement, many wrestlers must drastically alter their eating habits to avoid health complications like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The intense physical exertion during their active careers, however, helps them build significant muscle mass, which offers some protection against the immediate effects of obesity compared to a sedentary individual with a high-calorie diet.

Conclusion

The amount of calories a day do sumos eat is a result of a highly disciplined and strategic lifestyle, not simply gluttony. By consuming thousands of calories, largely from nutrient-rich chankonabe, in two massive daily meals, and strategically sleeping after eating, they create the physical bulk necessary for their sport. While their intense training allows them to manage the immediate effects of this extreme diet, it remains a dangerous path for anyone other than a professional athlete in this specific discipline. Their lifestyle highlights how diet, training, and routine work together to achieve a very specific, and extreme, physiological outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

The key dish is called chankonabe, a protein-rich and vegetable-heavy stew that is consumed in large volumes with rice.

Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast and train on an empty stomach to intentionally slow their metabolism. This makes their body more efficient at storing fat when they eat their large, infrequent meals.

While the diet is high-calorie, it typically consists of healthy, whole foods like meat, fish, and vegetables cooked into chankonabe. Junk food and soda are often restricted in sumo stables.

Immediately after their large meals, sumo wrestlers take a long nap. This practice, combined with a slowed metabolism, helps their bodies maximize the storage of calories as body mass.

No, the sumo diet is not safe or healthy for the average person. It is an extreme, specialized regimen for professional athletes and leads to significant health risks like cardiovascular disease after retirement if not managed.

In sumo tradition, chicken is considered good luck because chickens stand on two feet, just like a winning wrestler. This is contrasted with four-legged animals like pigs and cows.

Alongside their meals, wrestlers often drink large quantities of beer. A wrestler can consume up to six pints of beer in one sitting, adding a significant number of calories to their total intake.