Sumo wrestling, a traditional Japanese sport, requires its professional practitioners, known as rikishi, to maintain a body mass far exceeding that of a typical athlete. The immense weight is considered a prerequisite for success in the ring, providing the necessary bulk and low center of gravity for leverage and stability. This professional requirement forces wrestlers into a highly regimented lifestyle designed to maximize body size, with many top-division athletes weighing over 160 kilograms. The physiological toll of sustaining this extreme body weight and a specialized diet results in a significantly reduced lifespan. The average rikishi lives 10 to 15 years less than the general Japanese male population, with life expectancy often falling into the early to mid-60s.
The Extreme Diet and Forced Weight Gain
The weight gain strategy employed by rikishi is a deliberate manipulation of the body’s metabolism, focusing on two massive, calorie-dense meals daily. Wrestlers begin their day with rigorous training on an empty stomach, a practice that encourages the body to slow its metabolic rate. They intentionally skip breakfast, which primes the body to store calories more efficiently when a meal is finally consumed.
The main source of their caloric intake is chanko nabe, a high-protein, nutrient-rich stew that forms the centerpiece of the sumo diet. While the stew contains healthy ingredients like vegetables, meat, and fish, it is consumed in gargantuan quantities. This is eaten alongside several bowls of rice and often significant amounts of beer, which adds simple carbohydrates and empty calories. Wrestlers may consume between 5,000 and 10,000 calories or more in a single sitting.
The final step in this weight-gain cycle is the post-meal routine of immediate, prolonged sleep. Falling asleep immediately after consuming massive calories further slows the body’s metabolism, preventing the efficient burning of energy. This practice maximizes the storage of excess calories as fat. The resulting accumulation of fat is often concentrated around the internal organs, leading to a dangerous buildup of visceral fat mass.
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Risks
The accumulation of visceral fat from this extreme lifestyle is the direct cause of the severe health complications that shorten the rikishi’s lifespan. Visceral fat is metabolically active and releases inflammatory compounds that interfere with normal bodily functions, particularly the cardiovascular system. This chronic stress leads to debilitating conditions, with cardiovascular diseases being the primary cause of premature death.
Many rikishi develop severe hypertension, or high blood pressure, as the heart struggles to pump blood through a vast and compromised circulatory system. This is often compounded by dyslipidemia, an abnormal level of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, which accelerates the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This combination significantly increases the risk of acute events like heart attacks and strokes, often occurring decades earlier than in the general population.
Metabolic disorders are also widespread, with Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance being common diagnoses even in active wrestlers. The sheer volume of food and high-calorie intake overwhelm the body’s ability to process glucose effectively, leading to chronic high blood sugar. Consuming large amounts of alcohol, particularly beer, alongside meals contributes to liver damage, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is exacerbated by visceral fat. The massive body size also carries the risk of severe sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, placing strain on the heart and contributing to sudden cardiac events.
Health Transition After Retirement
Upon retiring, rikishi face a complex health transition complicated by years of metabolic damage and musculoskeletal wear. The high-calorie, forced-weight-gain diet must be abandoned, but the body’s metabolism remains severely altered, making weight loss a significant challenge. Many retired wrestlers struggle to maintain a healthy weight, and those who fail to shed substantial mass remain vulnerable to chronic diseases established during their career, such as high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
Decades spent training and competing under extreme weight conditions also inflict permanent, debilitating damage on the joints. The knees, ankles, and hips suffer immense pressure from supporting a body mass of 160 kilograms or more, frequently leading to severe arthritis and chronic mobility issues. This joint damage restricts the ability of retired wrestlers to engage in the physical activity necessary to lose weight and maintain cardiovascular health.
The compounding effects of metabolic damage and limited mobility mean the long-term health consequences of the sumo lifestyle often manifest years after a wrestler leaves the ring. While some former rikishi successfully transition back to a normal body weight through intense discipline and a complete lifestyle overhaul, many continue to battle the chronic health conditions that were an occupational hazard of their sport. Their reduced life expectancy reflects the cumulative physical sacrifice made for their profession.