Sumo Wrestlers Eat Up to 7,000 Calories Per Day

The immense size of a professional sumo wrestler, or rikishi, is not the result of a random diet but a highly disciplined and strategic regimen. Their day begins with intense training on an empty stomach, which both slows their metabolism and builds a ravenous appetite. Following this morning practice, they consume their first and largest meal of the day, a massive lunch often consisting of multiple bowls of a traditional stew called chankonabe. This protein-packed hot pot is loaded with chicken, fish, tofu, and vegetables, providing the necessary nutrients to build and sustain their powerful frames.

Immediately after this enormous meal, wrestlers are required to take a long nap. This eat-and-sleep cycle is a deliberate method to encourage the body to store calories as fat rather than burn them for energy. This carefully cultivated bulk is a strategic advantage in the ring, or dohyō, providing the low center of gravity and sheer power necessary to force an opponent out. The entire lifestyle, from the communal chankonabe meals in the training stable to the medically supervised weight gain, is a centuries-old tradition fine-tuned for a single purpose: creating the ultimate human fortress.