Tag: Sumo diet

Sumo wrestlers, known as *rikishi*, consume between 5,000 and 10,000 calories daily to maintain their massive physiques for competition. Their diet is a cornerstone of their training, focusing on calorie-dense, nutritious meals to support their rigorous physical demands and strategic weight gain.

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.

While it's widely known that sumo wrestlers consume enormous amounts of food, their diet is far more deliberate and nutritious than simply gorging on junk food. The central pillar of their unique eating strategy, known as the sumo diet, is a protein-packed hot pot called *chanko-nabe*.

In a 2015 GQ article, world champion sumo wrestler Byambajav Ulambayar debunked the myth that his diet consisted of vast quantities of sushi, revealing that sumo wrestlers eat only two carefully structured meals per day to maintain their size. While the stereotype of sumo wrestlers consuming mountains of tiny rice rolls persists, their actual nutrition plan is far more strategic and centered on a different kind of Japanese cuisine.

While it's a common misconception that their immense size comes from unhealthy choices, the reality is the opposite. Professional sumo wrestlers do not eat junk food; their disciplined diet is meticulously crafted to support their athletic demands and weight gain goals.

According to a 2025 study in *ResearchGate*, elite Japanese track-and-field athletes consume an average daily energy intake of over 3,000 calories for males and 2,500 for females. This disciplined approach to fueling their bodies is a hallmark of what do Japanese athletes eat, blending a foundational traditional diet with modern nutritional science for peak performance.

With a daily intake that can range from 5,000 to over 10,000 calories, the diet of a professional sumo wrestler is far from ordinary. But what do sumo wrestlers eat daily to fuel their immense strength and bulk, and how does this eating pattern contribute to their competitive edge?

According to numerous sources, a typical sumo wrestler, or rikishi, consumes between 7,000 and 10,000 calories per day to maintain their immense size and strength for competition. This massive caloric intake is strategically spread across a unique eating schedule designed to maximize weight gain and fuel their rigorous training regimen.

Contrary to some popular conceptions, sumo wrestlers don't just eat junk food to gain weight; a typical diet can include up to 10,000 calories a day. The staple meal for these athletes is a nutritious hot pot called chankonabe, making it the definitive answer to the question: **what soup do sumos eat**.

Despite common misconceptions, professional sumo wrestlers strictly regulate their diet, often avoiding the high sugar and junk food that many people assume are staples of their regimen. Their massive size is the result of a meticulously planned diet focused on caloric surplus, not empty calories from sugar.