Sumo. Interesting Facts. Average weight of a sumo wrestler. Sumo wrestler weight How sumo wrestlers lose weight
On TV they seem funny, like fat guys in funny headbands. They raise their legs high, make strange noises, and then grab each other and try to throw each other down.
Probably every person who sometimes watches a sports channel thought to himself that sumo is not a sport at all, but rather entertainment, fun for the audience. But who would know what emotions are in the air at these competitions, how long the learning path is and how important it is to correctly understand the philosophy of combat in order to reach heights! What is the average weight of a sumo wrestler? Does it have to be big or is it a stereotype?
What is "sumo"
Japan seems to us to be a country of exquisite traditions, long tea parties, patient eating of rice with chopsticks, a country of miniature women who do not acquire wrinkles in old age and retain ballerina legs. How could sumo appear in a country with the most correct food system? I must say that martial arts sumo comes from ancient times. The first mention of it dates back 2 thousand years ago. This explains the abundance of ancient myths and tales associated with such a struggle. Then the importance of the struggle was enormous, because the winners became the rulers of the country or were even called gods. Although several countries claim the right to be the inventor of sumo wrestling, the Japanese still consider it theirs. It contains too many traditions and customs.
Is there a maximum for a wrestler?
Is there a standard weight for a sumo wrestler? Many people still believe that if you can eat whatever you want without control, then you can become a sumo wrestler. I would like to dispel these myths once and for all - a weak-willed person who has gained a life-threatening amount of kilograms will not be able to adapt to the fight. So you need to gain weight wisely. By the way, not every sumo wrestler has a lot of weight: after all, there are weight categories in sumo. So it’s not a matter of size, but of the quality and depth of knowledge. The largest wrestler was found in America. With a respectable height of 2 meters and 3 centimeters, he weighs 313 kilograms. One must think that he is invincible in a fight! But he has such a weight on his health, because excess body weight affects the condition of the liver, heart, and kidneys. Arthritis, diabetes and hypertension begin to progress.
The Japanese have a healthy lifestyle, which is why they live on average up to 82 years, but sumo wrestlers often barely live past 60. After all, physical fitness rarely goes along with overweight. The Japanese are also very measured people, so after completion sports career, which, by the way, is only possible for a sumo wrestler until the age of 35, return to a moderate diet, adhering to balanced sports activities. Over the course of a few years, they lose weight. If you look at a sumo wrestler’s weight through the eyes of a professional nutritionist, you will discover serious deviations from the norm. Thus, a sumo wrestler is 2.5 times higher than that of a healthy person. To get into this shape, you need to eat a special diet and lead the lifestyle prescribed for athletes. But stereotypes do not work here, because sumo wrestlers do not gain weight by absorption huge mass foods with a predominance of fat.
How to gain weight correctly
The question may seem strange, because the media is all about cultivating a slim and athletic body, and not jiggling folds, but sumo wrestlers do not look like ordinary overweight people. They remain fit, strong and active. The requirements for the daily routine of sumo wrestlers are strict, but somehow subtly resemble the daily routine of kindergarten. This is understandable, because gaining weight as a sumo wrestler is not so easy. In addition to a clear number of meals, they have time to sleep. At first glance, it seems that this is the dream of a sweet tooth and a lover of delicious food! But it's not that simple. Sumo wrestlers eat twice a day, both times before bed, since calories are absorbed faster during sleep. A sumo wrestler who respects himself and his coach cannot uncontrollably eat a chocolate bar or sit all evening in front of the TV with a pack of chips, because he has a special menu aimed at accumulating fat reserves, but in order for the weight to be distributed evenly, the fats consumed must be correct. So, the wrestlers start their day with a long workout on an empty stomach. The training lasts from 4 to 6 hours, and its complexity is as great as that of a ballerina. Hypothetically, such activity should speed up metabolism and burn fat, but in reality it leads to a decrease in metabolic rate, which the smart body perceives as an alarming signal and begins to stock up on fuel for the future. By the way, this can also be taken into account by girls who are losing weight, who deny themselves breakfast and cannot control the amount of food they consume, which is why they overeat for lunch. After training, the wrestler has lunch, and the calorie content of lunch should not fall below 10 thousand calories! That is, for lunch, a sumo wrestler must consume the daily norm of eight adults! After lunch, you need to sleep for 3-4 hours so that the body has time to convert the calories received into fat. When you wake up, it's time to start your second workout. And then another 10 thousand calories for dinner and bed.
Pleasant gastronomic pleasures
But the described daily routine does not mean that a wrestler should push food into his mouth, even when he doesn’t feel like eating. And there is no need to completely cut down on your consumption of goodies. The weight of a sumo wrestler allows you to drink beer and sake while eating, but nutritional value does not carry alcohol. During the meal, the wrestlers communicate and sometimes get so carried away that they do not notice how they eat a huge portion. Especially to gain weight, they treat themselves to a dish with an intriguing name - “chanko-nabe”. The recipe contains a lot of meat, rice and vegetables. It is better to take fattier meat, and more filling vegetables. At home, you can prepare it from everything that is in the refrigerator, that is, you can take beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood. The meat is seasoned with bean paste and sesame oil, and flavor is added with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Don’t forget about the side dish, for which rice is stewed with tofu bean curd, eggplant, Chinese cabbage, carrots, radishes and spinach. Japanese noodles with eggs, mushrooms and seaweed wouldn’t be out of place in the recipe either. A couple of years on a diet with such a main dish - and the average weight of a sumo wrestler will be 150-200 kg. And the secret speed dial masses in consuming this enchanting amount of calories before bed. Please note that with an abundance of ingredients, wrestlers do not consume fast carbohydrates, flour and sugar. That is, in fact, they do not eat anything harmful, so they do not pollute their body and after completing their career they can easily return to their original weight. It is this approach that distinguishes the Japanese from Europeans, who can limit the amount of vegetables and fruits they consume to the limit in favor of fried potatoes and chocolate donuts.
Sumo history
As already mentioned, sumo appeared in ancient times. The first evidence of wrestling dates back to the middle of the 7th century. In 642, a wrestling tournament was held at the Emperor's court in honor of a Korean ambassador. The tournament was a success due to the entertainment and emotionality of the fight, so it set a trend and was held annually at the end of field work in the fall. A ring or, as it is called, a dohyo, was formed on a raised platform, outside of which there were sharp stakes. There were also some rules. You cannot hit your opponent with an open palm, you cannot aim at the eyes or genitals. After all, sumo is noble, so there is a ban on chokeholds. Do not grab hair, ears or fingers.
But slapping, pushing, and grabbing parts of the mawashi, except those that cover the genitals, are allowed. In amateur sumo, it is important how much a sumo wrestler weighs, since pairs are formed according to weight. But professional wrestling does not recognize weight categories. The main thing is the average weight of a sumo wrestler: almost everyone has it under 100 kg, but wrestlers of the highest divisions, bearing the proud title of sektori, must have a weight of more than 120 kg. Many people who are far from sumo will be surprised, but the percentage of fat in a sumo wrestler’s body weight is the same as that of the average person. Accordingly, the bigger the sumo wrestler, the more muscle mass and weight. Sumo is a sport that does not recognize restrictions, so anyone can get carried away with it.
Lifestyle nuances
The stereotype that there are no tall and slender sumo wrestlers would be wrong. Sumo wrestler Chiyonofuji, famous in certain circles, was above average height. There are no sizeless wrestlers. Still, a person weighing 200 kilograms or more is unlikely to be able to fight without shortness of breath and arrhythmia. Average weight sumo wrestler is far from the declared “ceiling”, and “light” wrestlers have an advantage over heavyweights, as they are more mobile and technical. A fight was noted in history when the wrestler Mainoumi threw against the wrestler Konishiki, who was twice his weight. A very big sumo wrestler limits his arsenal of techniques and faces annoying troubles, such as excessive sweating and clumsiness. In amateur sumo, pairs do not have representatives in different weight categories, but have their own divisions.
Contact combat involves two wrestlers on a professional or amateur basis. Professional sumo presents a colorful competition with the participation of selected heavyweight wrestlers. There were no women among the wrestlers. Sports sumo can be equated to Greco-Roman wrestling, as wrestlers divided by weight enter into competition. By the way, the first sumo wrestlers were samurai or ronin, interested in an additional source of income. In the 17th century, 72 canonical sumo techniques were recorded, based on sacred rituals with divine symbolism. Since even from the time of its inception, sumotori were a category of people close to the emperor and therefore were supported by the state.
And the game is worth the candle
Indeed, is there any rational grain in being a sumo wrestler?
Is it worth gaining weight, trampling on the world standards and giving up the opportunity to show off in a bikini on the beach? After all, sumo has long ceased to be an exclusively male sport, but international competitions Women are becoming more and more active. Sumo has many rules: wrestlers of the same hei, siblings, cannot fight in a duel. Sumo wrestling is a fairly lucrative business, so participants interested in it can at least become quite rich. If we calculate on average, then in a year a wrestler of the highest category, who is also called yokozun, receives as much for wrestling and outside earnings as a world-class football player. In Japan, practicing sumo is doubly profitable, since professional fights are held only here.
Coming out to fight
A respected wrestler cannot go to the dohyo uncollected. Every detail is taken into account. Sumo wrestlers even have a special hairstyle. A photo of it from a close angle allows you to verify its functionality and beauty. This hairstyle is called takayama, it softens the blow to the crown of the head, which is almost inevitable when falling. By the way, wrestlers are prohibited from driving a car. Moreover, violators will face serious punishment, for example, disqualification, which equates to a significant loss in rank. Usually wrestlers travel by taxi.
In addition, there are restrictions on the presence of foreigners in this sport. A wrestler is considered a foreigner not only by citizenship, but also by origin.
Russians in sumo
The fighting technique is close in spirit to our people, as it is rich in traditions and full of respect for the opponent. But it’s still quite strange to watch how Russian girls, truly beautiful, choose this sport, which is still exotic for our mentality. It is worth immediately amending the understanding of many people about sumo wrestling: sumo wrestlers do not fight. Their fight is noble, the purpose of the fight is to push the opponent beyond the border of the dohyo. The one who touches the ground with any part of the body except the foot will lose. Svetlana Panteleeva absolutely does not meet the expectations of how much a sumo wrestler weighs. Svetlana weighs 75 kilograms and is 170 centimeters tall, that is, her weight is normal. This is how the stereotypes that fat people go to sumo are destroyed. Svetlana came to the sport from choreography and judo. Sumo made me laugh at first, but then it dragged me in, the emotions were too hot.
Svetlana goes beyond the rules and keeps herself in shape with the help of proper nutrition: More protein to build muscle, not fat.
Tenderness in the fight
Who would have thought that a seven-time world sumo champion could be a homely and cozy woman, a real homemaker. This is exactly what Catherine Cabe is like. She is still very young, but has achieved a lot, so she can afford a break in her career. Ekaterina managed to try herself in pedagogy and politics. I have many interests, but without sports I developed a passion for Japanese cuisine. While she was actively involved in sports, Katya abstained from sushi, but now she eats with pleasure. Ekaterina is far from being a model, although she is quite tall at 180 centimeters she weighs 138 kg. This is the normal average weight of a sumo wrestler, and even slightly below the standard.
And European Championships medalist Olesya Kovalenko is even a little asthenic for sumo: she weighs only 118 kg with the same height. True, she believes that this is her fighting form, in which she is both strong and mobile.
Success through endurance
Anna Zhigalova competes in the absolute weight category, who is also outside the framework established by the average weight of a sumo wrestler.
With a height of 185 cm, Anna weighs 120 kg. As a child, I dreamed of being a ballerina, but my build was too large. He doesn’t go on a special diet, except that his trainer sometimes forces him to gain weight. Anna does not adhere to the traditions of the founders of wrestling, she eats healthy, although she has her own gastronomic preferences. In general, it is necessary to imagine a certain gradation of the weight of athletes: light weight is limited to 65 kg; average weight ranges from 65 to 80 kg; heavy weight category starts from 80 kg and above.
Japanese sumo wrestlers and their differences
The attitude towards fat people in the world is ambiguous, since sometimes they do not fit into the usual standards of beauty. In Japan, rich in traditions, the situation is somewhat simpler, since the beauty of a person, his inner content, and the ability to combine harmony and athletic development are paramount.
Therefore, their people can afford to eat in accordance with the history of sports. People who are completely focused on wrestling, who know their daily routine in advance and practice sumo at a professional level, literally live off their work uniform. In Russia, everything is different, because a modern person cannot give up on himself and turn away from critical views in a cafe or transport. Overweight people are limited in their choice of clothing and in visiting public places. Who noticed a fat man resting in a nightclub? And who has seen a dancer with curvaceous figures? Our ladies do not want to get out of the cage, so their weight is too low for professional sumo. The girls remain normal, live at a weight at which they are comfortable, and therefore are successful not only in their careers, but also in their personal lives.
Few people know that the life of a sumo wrestler does not have a bit of romance. She is not only ordinary and strict, but also boring. The person who decides to take up sumo must give up a large amount of earthly goods. The personal life of a wrestler is constantly under the control of the Sumo Association and his coach.
How could such a miracle as Sumo appear in Japan, a country of exquisite traditions with one of the most “correct” nutrition systems in the world? Sumo
- a type of martial arts in which two wrestlers identify the strongest on a round platform. The tradition of sumo has been going on since ancient times, so each match is accompanied by numerous rituals. Despite the fact that several other countries claim to be the inventors of sumo wrestling, Japan is the recognized center of sumo and the only country where professional competitions are held. In the rest of the world, only amateur sumo exists. Modern professional sumo combines elements of sport, martial arts, show, traditions and business.
It is believed that the modern sumo platform, the dohyo, appeared around the 16th century, but the shape and size of the dohyo changed over time. The dohyo is made of compacted clay and covered with a thin layer of sand. The fight takes place in a circle with a diameter of 4.55 m, the boundaries of which are laid out with special braids made of rice straw (the so-called “tawara”). In the center of the dohyo there are two white stripes indicating the starting positions of the wrestlers. The sand around the circle is carefully leveled with brooms before the start of each bout, so that the footprints in the sand can be used to determine whether one of the opponents has touched the ground outside the circle.
The only clothing a wrestler wears during a fight is a special belt called a “mawashi”. This is a dense wide fabric ribbon, most often in dark shades. Mawashi is wrapped several times around the naked body and between the legs, the end of the belt is secured behind the back with a knot. An unwound mawashi will lead to the wrestler's disqualification. The wrestlers high level mawashi silk. Hanging ornaments called “sagari” are hung from the belt and do not perform any function other than purely decorative.
The hair is collected in a special traditional bun at the top of the head; in the two highest divisions the hairstyle is much more complex. In addition to beauty, this hairstyle has the property of softening the blow to the crown of the head, which is possible, for example, when falling head down.
In sumo it is forbidden to hit with anything other than an open palm, as well as in the eyes and genital area. It is forbidden to grab the hair, ears, fingers and the part of the mawashi covering the genitals. Chokeholds are not allowed. Everything else is allowed, so the wrestlers’ arsenal includes slaps, pushes, grabs of any permitted parts of the body and especially belts, as well as throws, various kinds of trips and sweeps.
Two basic rules are used to determine the winner of each fight: the first person to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the feet is considered the loser; The first person to touch the ground outside the circle is considered the loser.
There are no weight categories in professional sumo, so one of the determining factors is the weight of the wrestler. Almost all athletes, except beginners, weigh 100 kg or more, and for the highest divisions, a weight above 120 kg is de facto mandatory - otherwise you cannot count on success.
On the other hand, weights over 200 kg are rare. Technical lightweights can have an advantage over heavyweights due to greater mobility and sophisticated technique. There is a known winning move with more than a twofold difference in weight. On the contrary, excessive weight does not guarantee success, as it impairs mobility, increases the risk of injury and narrows the arsenal of techniques.
The formation of a wrestler’s body occurs exclusively during training due to muscle gain and weight gain. The daily routine itself is dedicated to this goal. Getting up with the first rays of sun, morning toilet, then a grueling five-hour workout begins on an empty stomach, requiring full effort and utmost concentration.
Sumo wrestlers day starts at 4-6 p.m. intense workout on empty stomach. Theoretically, big physical activity should lead to increased metabolism and weight loss, but...Intense physical exercise Eating on an empty stomach will inevitably lead to a decrease in metabolic rate in the long term. Our subconscious autopilot kicks in - our smart body tries to save more fuel for the future.
It is important to know! A strict ban on breakfast leads to obligatory overeating at the next meal and reduces the metabolic rate.
After training, wrestlers take hot bath and be sure to eat heavily, usually without restrictions, and also do not deny themselves alcohol. After eating - a three-hour sleep, then a short workout and a light dinner. For effective recruitment weight by Sumo wrestlers, drinking beer and sake in large quantities with meals is also used. As you know, alcohol contains many “empty” calories that do not provide the body with any nutritional value, that is, they are not used as an energy supplier. In other words, all the calories you get from drinking alcohol go straight to storing fat.
Interesting Facts.
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Wrestlers of any level are prohibited from driving independently. Those who violate this rule will face punishment, for example, Kyokutenho, who was caught in 2007, was disqualified for one tournament, which meant a significant loss in rank. Typically, wrestlers travel by taxi or are transported in special minibuses.
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The heaviest Sumo wrestler lives in America and, with a height of 2 meters 3 centimeters, weighs 313 kilograms!!!
What do you think, does all this fuss with special weight gain affect the life expectancy and health of sumo wrestlers? Undoubtedly!!!
If the average life expectancy of the Japanese is 82 years, then Sumo wrestlers live 60 - 65 years. After all, no matter how physically trained, active and developed a person is, excess weight inevitably leads to diseases of the liver, heart, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis... It is interesting that after completing a sports career (maximum athletic age Sumo wrestlers - 35 years old), many return to a moderate diet. And they are able, within a few years, to lose significant weight.
Having chosen the path of a wrestler, many young and not so young people often face a difficult choice: sambo or judo? Or maybe Greco-Roman wrestling? Leave no doubts, in our age of rapid globalization, it’s time to become a sumo wrestler.
One of the most common misconceptions about this struggle is that in order to receive honorary status, you must be supposedly a dimensionless giant, occupying at least three seats on public transport. Japanese sumo stars of the first magnitude really weigh 130-180 kilograms. A absolute champion according to physical data, he is a wrestler living in the USA with a height of 230 cm and a weight of 313 kg. But don't despair! The parameters of athletes officially established by the Sumo Federation are very democratic: you need to have a height of more than 167 cm and a weight of at least 67 kg. Initially, the requirements were a little stricter, but one of the candidates, who was two centimeters short of the minimum height requirement, resorted to a trick that went down in the history of this discipline. The young man literally tapped a bump on his head and added the missing centimeters. And after that he made a successful career as a sumotori (that’s the name of a fighter of this severe martial arts). From then to now - 167 centimeters. You must be no older than 23 years old and have a basic education.
You will have to say goodbye to your birthplace for a while; the secrets of the struggle will be revealed to you only at the “hospital”. If you have served in the Armed Forces, the learning process will not surprise you much. In the sumo school - the so-called "rooms" - there is a strict hierarchy with pretensions to polite "hazing". The elders help the younger ones to comprehend the basics and subtleties, and the grateful younger ones serve their more experienced comrades. Regardless of desire. Please note: the rooms have a flexible system for advancing in rank. If you have moved up to senior students, but showed a low level of preparation at tournaments, then you will certainly be returned to the beginner group. Which means cleaning, washing and other household chores again. Therefore, young wrestlers are trying their best to maintain their achievements.
You will have to deny yourself many worldly joys. Sumotori beginners get up before sunrise. Instead of coffee and sandwiches, a long workout follows. Athletes practice throws, grabs, and practice on special equipment. What may come as a surprise to you is a strong focus on flexibility and stretching. Most massive wrestlers do the splits with ease! You will also have to study the history of sumo, sports medicine, calligraphy and the art of reciting ancient poetry. But after lunch, athletes don’t bother training. That is, in general. It is our local sambo wrestlers who are ready to stay in the gym until dark on the eve of the competition; Sumotori must take care of his health, be rested, cheerful and... gain weight. Therefore, after a hearty lunch, served in a common cauldron, the guests of the “rooms” go to bed. Food, which includes meat, seafood, rice, vegetables and special herbs, must be properly absorbed by the body and distributed throughout the body. After an equally hearty dinner at 6 pm, athletes enjoy personal time, which is recommended to be spent walking and talking. The “rooms” go to sleep at 10:30 p.m., and no later. Fans of online gatherings will have a hard time until the morning.
When training in the “rooms” remains behind your mighty shoulders, you will become a real “rikishi”, which is translated from Japanese as “hero”. Be prepared for the next blow: after the asceticism of student life, sumo wrestlers continue to adhere to the strictest rules behavior in everyday life and society. The number of prohibitions ready to fall on your head is truly enormous. The life of a sumotori is always in the center of public attention, so you will have to live up to the highest standards of moral character. For example, one of the most famous wrestlers of the Land of the Rising Sun was not disqualified for breaking an engagement... A very important detail for Sumotori of Slavic origin: drinking alcohol is completely permitted. But drugs in any form, even the mildest, are strictly prohibited. The rules of the Sumo Association do not even allow sumotori to drive a car! True, the main reason here is not the immorality of driving as such, but the risk to which the fighter exposes his precious life for the nation and all humanity. In general, once you become a full-fledged sumotori, get ready for somewhat intrusive supervision. For example, only a specially trained personal hairdresser combs a wrestler’s hair, and nothing else.
When stepping onto the dohyo - the site for the fight - take into account several important features. This is not a wrestling mat from the local youth sports school! Dohyo is covered with sand, and, importantly, rises a good half meter. And no ropes will hold your falling body in case of defeat, because one of the conditions for victory is to force the enemy out of the site. With a large (very large) body mass of a good rikishi, the force of a fall from a half-meter height can be easily measured in TNT equivalent. After all, it was not without reason that in ancient Japan it was believed that sumo wrestlers during a fight drove away evil spirits by shaking the earth. You need to be prepared for injuries. You are mistaken if you think that sumo is something like a hustle and bustle between two tough fat men. At dohyo, very hard throws, grabs and powerful pushes with an open palm are carried out, capable of knocking a tram off the rails. At the dawn of sumo, fighters were allowed to use almost any force against their opponent. But, apparently, the number of rikishi began to decline rapidly, and the Association brought the fight into a more civilized form.
You will need to take care of choosing a worthy pseudonym; It's rare that Sumotori performs under his own surname. A good sumo wrestler has a poetic nickname, such as "The Wind from the Mountain" or "The Full Moon." So if you wanted to be known as "Grishka of Voronezh", immediately leave these relics of chanson and turn to Japanese poetry. Bad news for future sumotori, who are naturally shy: athletes go to battle wearing only “mawashi” - a kind of medieval version of a sports-style thong. A strip of fabric is wrapped around the waist and tied between the legs with a knot at the back, and keep in mind - if the knot gets untied, in addition to disgrace, you will also receive disqualification. In such a minimum of clothing, wrestlers go to outdoor classes even in winter. And one more thing: don’t even think about washing your mawashi. Wrestlers believe that in this way they can lose their luck! After training, just dry the bandage in the sun...
If you manage to go through the hardships and hardships of being a student and then succeed in tournaments, you will reap some truly sweet and bountiful rewards. The sumo association pays successful rikishi huge salaries. Added to this are substantial amounts of bonuses for one-time achievements and cash rewards from sponsors. Sumo wrestlers in Japan are, without exaggeration, national heroes, idols of children and eligible bachelors. And it’s very easy to take a step into the world of sumo, even without living on the Japanese islands. In Moscow, for example, the Sumo Federation operates successfully. And if you set out to become a star in Japan and nothing else, then keep in mind: even conservative Japanese have officially recognized the right of foreigners to study in national “rooms”. True, no more than one gaijin per group.
The appearance of sumotori or as they are also called rikishi (translated into Russian as “hero”) suggests that their meal begins in the morning and does not stop throughout the day. Actually this is not true. To gain weight, this category of athletes must have a special diet, or rather an anti-diet, while constant consumption of food does not bring the desired results. In addition, there are some dishes and drinks that sumo wrestlers cannot do without.
Special food for sumotori
One of the key points in the sumo diet is high-calorie food. Their diet always contains foods with large amounts of fiber, vitamins, vegetable and animal fats. To understand what sumo wrestlers eat, you should consider 3 traditional nutritional components:
- Beer.
These dishes are mandatory for all athletes of this type of martial arts.
Of course, these athletes eat different high-calorie foods, but Japanese sumo wrestlers prefer chankonabe. This dish consists of quite a variety of products, which makes it possible to saturate the body as much as possible. It contains seafood, mushrooms, vegetables, herbs for easy digestion, meat and tofu. And nabe is prepared like a soup, which allows you to preserve many nutrients.
Rice side dish
Nutrition in sumo wrestling involves a large amount of food, so at the beginning of his career, any athlete has to face the problem of a small stomach. To stretch their stomach and then receive large portions of high-calorie grub, these giants include rice porridge in their diet.
- Heavyweights eat rice as a side dish, along with meat dishes, gradually increasing the number of servings. The enlargement of the stomach occurs over the course of 1-2 months, until the athlete is able to consume up to 2-3 kg of food at a time.
- After this, the sumo wrestlers' nutrition system includes only very high-calorie foods to gain weight.
Beer
To gain weight, huge athletes resort to drinking large amounts of beer. Moreover, the foamy drink is used during meals. This swill has two miraculous qualities: firstly, it is high in calories, and secondly, it increases appetite.
Thus, it becomes clear what sumo wrestlers eat, but the open question remains: how do they still gain such mass? After all, sumo wrestlers not only need to eat, but also go to the gym for training, where a lot of calories are burned. It's all about a special approach to the meal.
How do sumo wrestlers eat?
The diet of sumo wrestlers is by no means complicated and consists of two meals a day. Sumotori is fed for the first time in the morning, after which a long break is taken. The second meal takes place in the evening. Such a system is most conducive to weight gain, which plays a role main role in this sport. The thing is that when the body is full, all sumo wrestlers, like ordinary people, lose their appetite, which means that the stomach does not secrete gastric juice, and metabolic processes stop.
So that sumo food can turn into mass:
- morning meal, occurs 1 hour before classes, while the calorie content of breakfast can reach 8000 cal;
- in the evening, wrestlers eat more dinner, and the calorie content of their food reaches 12,000 calories.
Precisely because long break Sumotori eat a lot, and all the nutrients in their diet are not only well absorbed by the body, but are also able to accumulate. Subsequently, such a diet allows athletes to gain weight of 130 kg or more. However, to win in this sport, a lot of weight is not enough. Heavyweights devote a lot of time to classes where they hone their techniques and improve their strength.
Additional measures to increase sumotori's appetite
A sumo diet aimed at gaining body weight will be useless if you do not increase your appetite. To achieve this, wrestlers make a lot of effort:
- exhaust themselves on exercise machines during training;
- add a lot of fragrant spices to dishes;
- visit steam rooms and saunas after classes;
- allow themselves to sleep a lot, and sometimes use sleep-inducing aromas;
- They try to eat food not alone, but in a social circle.
Unfortunately or fortunately, without these measures, athletes are simply unable to consume large amounts of food in a short time, and this is so important, especially before competitions.
Steam rooms, saunas and baths
Everyone understands that sleep, spices and exercise help increase appetite and gain weight, but the use of a bath for these purposes is controversial. It should be said right away that in a sauna you can really reduce your weight, but the significant expenditure of energy to maintain normal body temperature is very exhausting for the body. Therefore, weight loss is subsequently compensated by the need to restore one’s strength. A person, after such a procedure, wants to eat and sleep at the same time. But for a sumo wrestler this is simply necessary.
Chatting while eating
The closer the competition approaches, the more athletes feel that they can no longer look at fatty and high-calorie foods. For this reason, sumo wrestlers try to eat during exciting conversations. Thus, food intake is better absorbed and the long process of eating is easier to bear.
Video: Nutrition and training of sumo wrestlers
It is commonly believed that sumo wrestlers are so huge because they constantly overeat and sleep, sleep and overeat. This is, of course, far from the case. Sumo wrestlers eat exactly as much as their body, exhausted by constant training, requires. Their diet includes a signature dish - chanko, which, according to professionals, not only helps to gain weight, but also gives wrestlers strength. The main secret is a special daily routine, large portions and two meals a day. They get up early in the morning and train on an empty stomach until almost noon. Then a hot bath and breakfast - about 5-6 regular servings. Beer and sake are encouraged. After breakfast, sleep for 3 hours. And more training. Lunch (aka dinner) in the evening. The volume of food eaten should not be inferior to breakfast. What do they eat? The main dish is called "chanko" or "chanko-nabe". This is the recipe. First, a broth made from bean paste, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce. Pork, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish are cooked in the broth. Garnish: mushrooms, tofu, eggplant, Chinese cabbage, eggs, seaweed, carrots, radishes, spinach, Japanese noodles, rice cakes. 
After a couple of years of such a diet, the weight of a sumo wrestler reaches 150-200 kg. And the heaviest sumo wrestler, with a height of 2.03 m, weighs 313 kg. True, although he is Japanese, he lives in the USA and, I think, things cannot get by there without hamburgers from McDonald’s. To gain strength, sumo wrestlers eat chanko-nabe 2 times a day. Translated from Japanese, chanko-nabe is food for sumo wrestlers, cooked in a cauldron (“nabe” is a cauldron, “chanko” is food for sumo wrestlers). But more often chanko-nabe is simply called “chanka”. The usual ingredients of chanko are chicken, soy cheese and vegetables. But since there are no strict restrictions and rules regarding the preparation of this dish, you can find meat, mushrooms, fish and much more in it. In any case, the dish turns out to be very nutritious. In appearance, chanko is something between a soup and a stew. The meal is often accompanied by rice (this way it is better absorbed). Dietitian of the Kyiv Scientific and Technical Center "VIRIA":“The diet of sumo wrestlers cannot be called healthy. This is a high-calorie food with a lot of carbohydrates and fats. Sumo wrestlers eat this food in large portions to build muscle and fat mass. And as a result they become obese. Heavy loads, in particular on the heart, provoke the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic disorders occur. And these diseases usually begin to appear after the sumo wrestler retires from the sport. As for chanko, the meat and vegetables that make up the dish go well together. Therefore, chanko-nabe can be considered a completely healthy food (if the dish is prepared with natural soy cheese). True, whether it will be possible to recover with the help of chanko is a controversial issue.”
