Supported by Alexander Nathanson, MD.

Whether it is Sentoryu (Henry Miller), who died at 56 in January 2026, or Akebono Taro (Chad Rowan), who died at 54 in April 2024, it is often noted that sumo wrestlers have a significantly shortened life expectancy.

You may wonder why. The answer has been explained by Dr. Mike Israetel, a PhD in Sport Physiology, in an Instagram post.

On April 15, Israetel posted a short clip on his Instagram in which he reviewed how consuming a lot of food per day affects a sumo wrestler’s life.

The reviewed video says, “Sumo wrestlers consume 8,000 calories a day. The life expectancy of sumo wrestlers hardly reaches 65 years, which is 20 years less than the Japanese average.”

In response, Israetel added, “That makes sense, man. Getting really, really fat is bad for you.”

However, according to Dr., the wrestlers are mostly physically active, and it somehow works as a plus point.

However, later Israetel continued by explaining more insights, “but think of it this way. 20 years off lifespan, adjusting for genetics and proclivity. Let's call it 15 years, even with a ton of exercise, with mostly good food going in, that is huge.

And so the one thing to take away from this is if you want to live a long time, being leaner and being smaller is a really, really, really, really good idea.”

According to Alexander Nathanson, MD, in his blog on navigate weight and metabolism, “Years of extreme weight cycling and physical strain contribute to joint damage, sleep apnea, hypertension, and cardiac stress.”

He also mentioned the name of Yokozuna Terunofuji, who never officially retired; however, “his career was nearly ended by severe knee injuries, diabetes, and infections that kept him out of multiple tournaments for years.”

While many medical professionals often criticize sumo wrestlers' diets, let's see what the core components of these diets are.

Core components of a sumo wrestler’s diet

Despite their massive size, sumo wrestlers mostly eat nutritionally dense meals.

Some core components of their diets include:

• Chanko-Nabe: This is the cornerstone of their diets. It is a large hot pot packed with protein and nutrients, including meatballs, tofu, and chicken. It also includes vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, onions, and daikon.
• White rice: Sumo wrestlers usually consume 5 to 10 bowls of white rice with stew. This helps maintain their carbohydrate levels.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil