How many calories can you eat sumo?

December 21, 2025 •

2 min read

Professional sumo wrestlers can consume upwards of 10,000 calories per day, a staggering amount achieved through a disciplined training and eating regimen designed to build and maintain their massive physiques. This isn't a mindless feat of gluttony, but a strategic and physically demanding process honed over centuries.

Quick Summary

Sumo wrestlers consume a massive number of calories daily, primarily through a protein-rich stew called chanko-nabe and a strategic two-meal eating schedule. This is combined with intense training to build mass and strength.

Key Points

High Caloric Intake: Sumo wrestlers typically consume between 7,000 and 10,000 calories per day, far exceeding the average person's needs.
Strategic Schedule: They eat two massive meals a day, skipping breakfast to slow their metabolism, which encourages weight gain.
Chanko-Nabe Staple: The foundation of their diet is chanko-nabe, a protein-rich stew filled with meat, vegetables, and tofu, often consumed with large amounts of rice.
Training and Napping: Intense morning training on an empty stomach is followed by a large meal and a nap to maximize weight storage.
Unique Health Profile: Active wrestlers have low visceral fat and normal cholesterol due to their rigorous exercise, but face serious health risks if they don't change habits upon retirement.
Dietary Structure: The eating pattern is a disciplined, intentional strategy for gaining the necessary mass and strength required for professional competition.

The Strategic Sumo Eating Schedule

Sumo wrestlers, known as rikishi, follow a unique eating schedule that involves intense morning training on an empty stomach to slow their metabolism, making them more efficient at storing calories as fat later.

The Heart of the Sumo Diet: Chanko-Nabe

The staple meal is chanko-nabe, a protein-rich hot pot stew cooked within the sumo stable. It typically contains chicken, fish, beef, pork, and tofu, along with various vegetables like cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, and mushrooms. This is consumed with significant amounts of rice and sometimes noodles to increase caloric intake.

The Calories and the Nap

Following the first large meal, wrestlers take a long nap to further encourage weight gain. They have a second substantial meal in the evening, also featuring chanko-nabe. Daily caloric intake often falls between 7,000 and 10,000 calories.

Sumo vs. Average Diet: A Comparison


Feature	Sumo Wrestler Diet	Average Male Diet
Daily Calories	7,000-10,000+	~2,500
Meals Per Day	Two massive meals	Three standard meals + snacks
Breakfast	Skipped to slow metabolism	Usually eaten to kickstart metabolism
Staple Food	Chanko-nabe, rice, noodles	Varied, balanced meals recommended
Exercise Timing	Intense fasted training in the morning	Often post-meal, or not a set part of routine
Meal Schedule	Large lunch, large dinner, nap in between	Spaced throughout the day

The Paradox of Sumo Health

Active sumo wrestlers are surprisingly healthy due to intense exercise preventing dangerous visceral fat buildup. However, upon retirement, without the training, the health risks associated with obesity increase significantly, leading to potential health issues and a shorter life expectancy. The sumo diet is sustainable only when combined with their rigorous physical lifestyle. You can read more about the health aspects of their regimen in articles such as this one on Business Insider.

Conclusion: More Than Just Eating Big

The caloric intake of a sumo wrestler, typically 7,000 to 10,000+ calories daily, is a strategic component of their intense athletic discipline. This involves a specific schedule of skipped breakfast, intense fasted training, large meals centered around chanko-nabe, and post-meal naps to maximize weight gain and strength. The unique health profile of active wrestlers, who are healthy despite their size due to training, contrasts sharply with the health risks they face in retirement if they don't adapt their habits. Their diet is a specialized plan tailored to the demands of sumo, far removed from typical dietary recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main food for sumo wrestlers is chanko-nabe, a hot pot stew rich in protein from ingredients like chicken, fish, beef, and tofu, along with plenty of vegetables, rice, and noodles.

Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast to train on an empty stomach. This slows down their metabolism, which, when followed by a large meal, maximizes the body's ability to store calories as fat, a key component for gaining size and strength.

Professional sumo wrestlers typically eat two massive meals a day, with their largest meal at lunchtime and a second substantial meal in the evening.

While active, intense training keeps sumo wrestlers relatively healthy by preventing the buildup of dangerous visceral fat. However, upon retirement, their health declines rapidly if they do not change their eating habits.

Upon retirement, many wrestlers face significant health issues like heart problems and diabetes if they don't dramatically cut their calorie intake and change their lifestyle, as their intense training ends.

Contrary to popular belief, sumo wrestlers typically avoid junk food and processed sugars. Their diet consists of large quantities of wholesome, nutritious foods like chanko-nabe and rice.

The post-meal nap is a deliberate part of the weight-gain strategy. By eating a large, high-calorie meal and then sleeping, the body stores the energy more efficiently as body mass.