Have you ever wondered what makes sumo wrestlers so powerful? The answer lies in exercise, a balanced diet, and 10,000 calories worth of chakonabe.

Behind their hulk physique is a carefully calculated diet plan and a disciplined regimen.

A sumo wrestler usually weighs between 400 and 600 pounds, and most of it is muscle. Their fat-free muscle mass (muscle, bone, organs) is much more significant than that of a normal person. It can range from 80kg to 90kg or sometimes even more.

Sumo wrestlers eat 20,000 calories in a day, which is 10 times more than the stipulated calorie intake of 2500 calories for an average adult. They divide their intake into two huge meals of 10,000 calories.

Here is a detailed plan that sumo wrestlers follow, and everything they avoid to maintain their strength and power.

Inside the daily diet routine of a rikishi

Morning routine

A typical day of a sumo wrestler begins with exercising at 4 am or 5 am. You may think that after their intense training, they would sit down for a big breakfast, but that is not the case. Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast to slow down their metabolism.

It's Grub time

Instead, they eat their first 10,000-calorie meal of the day at 11 am. It is a traditional Japanese protein-rich dish known as chakonabe. Nabe is a traditional Japanese stew, and chakonabe is the supersized sumo version of the stew.

It consists of a flavorful broth made of fish stock, miso, and soy sauce. For the protein, chicken, meat, and tofu are used. The vegetable choice is endless in chakonabe.

Everything from carrots, napa cabbage, daikon radish, green onions, and shiitake mushrooms can be included.

According to retired Mongolian sumo wrestler and four-time World Sumo Champion, late Ulambayaryn Byambajav, "You can absorb a lot more vitamins and minerals from the soup. It's not about taste. It's giving you good vitamins and protein."

Chakonabe is paired with rice and beer for empty calories. And it seems like their size isn't just utilized in the ring because an average sumo wrestler can down 5 to 10 bowls of rice and 6 pints of beer with it.

Snooze time

After lunch, many people feel like taking a short nap, but guzzling down 10,000 calories can put you in a coma. Even sumo wrestlers aren't immune to the food coma induced by the heavy meal, so they take a 4-hour siesta (nap) after lunch to slow their metabolism down.

Dinner

The dinner looks exactly like the lunch; it also includes a 10,000-calorie meal, but the only difference is that the sleep after that is longer than four hours. And while they sleep, all the minerals they consumed in the day work to get them ready for the next day.

Some important dos and don'ts of following a sumo diet are to remember eat communally, hydrate sufficiently, and eat a balanced meal. You must avoid snacks, processed foods, and any shortcuts for dieting.

Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu