Why do sumo wrestlers need to be fat

The larger and heavier you are, the more of an advantage you have 8. With that said, what is sumo wrestling? What do sumo wrestlers eat? Are sumo wrestlers healthy? These and many more questions about this unorthodox sport will be answered in this amazing read.

Before we can go into what their diet is composed of, it is important to know what the sport is all about. Sumo wrestling originated as part of Shinto religious ceremonies to welcome a new year. So if any other part of your body touches the floor you lose. You also win if you are able to make your opponent step out of the ring 4. Unlike other types of wrestling across the world, closed fists are not allowed in sumo wrestling. Pulling of hair is also not allowed 6.

Just like the normal wrestling you know, every match is officiated by a referee. In addition to the referees, there are also judges who are usually ringside. These judges are referred to as the five shimpan. The work of these judges is usually to review and confirm the decisions made by the gyoji referee 6. Sumo wrestlers are usually referred to as rikishi. Being a rikishi is not easy at all and it requires hard work, determination and discipline.

When a sumo wrestler is beginning their wrestling career, they usually join a stable. A stable is a place where the rikishi live, eat, workout, drink and do everything throughout their sumo wrestling career 6. In the stables, rank is very important. For this reason, hierarchy of rank is highly respected. Sumo wrestlers of lower rank are responsible for doing most of the chores in the stables. This includes chores like cooking, being sent to the market, preparing the ingredients of the food, cleaning the stable and all other chores involved that have not been mentioned.

In addition to this, low rank sumo wrestlers only eat after high rank sumo wrestlers have eaten 6. Sumo wrestling is a very unique sport. They are also supposed to have the traditional topknot hairstyle.

Sumo wrestling is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. This is not to say that only the Japanese can practice this sport. Many foreigners have been able to take up the sport over the years and even go ahead to dominate the sport.

Foreigners must follow the same guidelines that the locals follow. This is to say they must join a stable just as the locals do 6. When a rikishi comes to the end of his career, a ceremony is usually held to celebrate them. This is done to show the end of their career 6. That is basically the gist of what you need to know about sumo wrestling.

When it comes to sumo wrestling, the bigger and stronger you are, the more of an advantage you hold. Unlike other sports, sumo wrestlers do not depend on supplements to get as large as they do. They achieve their size and strength through vigorous training and a healthy balanced diet. The staple food for sumo wrestlers is chankonabe. The sumo diet staple chanko nabe — a stew packed with meat, fish and vegetables — is high in protein and low in fat.

But Mikhakhanov, who retired in , knows to his cost how pressure to pile on the pounds can tempt wrestlers into consuming more than the 4, calories they need to refuel after gruelling early-morning training sessions. Weighing an already hefty kg when he turned professional, Mikhakhanov saw his weight increase to In , he became the heaviest professional rikishi ever at kg, beating the record previously held by the Hawaii-born Konishiki, who tipped the scales at kg.

Mikhakhanov would routinely polish off pieces of sushi and a crate of beer, and found it impossible to refuse offers of extra bowls of rice from senior stablemates. Additionally, they gain the weight they need by being extremely active and consuming a high-calorie diet.

He should be heavy enough to be difficult to move and strong enough to push his equally heavy opponent over the line. According to Business Insider, the average sumo wrestler eats 7, calories a day. Like bodybuilders, they eat food high in protein to aid in building muscle mass.

They also eat massive portions to keep up with their intense exercise regimens and gain weight. Sumo wrestlers mainly eat chankonabe, a hearty stew made of seasonal vegetables and meats typically served in a fish- or chicken-based broth. It is rich in protein and is often served with rice. It is not particularly calorie-rich compared to other foods, though, but sumo wrestlers eat a lot of it. Additionally, sumo wrestlers eat large amounts of rice and beer. Some can even eat seven or eat rice bowls and drink six pints of beer just to consume the thousands of calories they need for their lifestyle.

Sumo wrestlers also typically live together in large, frat house-style homes, and they make a huge batch of chankonabe every day for everyone to share. Active sumo wrestlers are healthy, but it can be hard to believe because of their appearance. However, active sumo wrestlers are not particularly prone to heart disease or high blood pressure. It all comes down to their exercise routine, which releases adiponectin and directs fat away from the organs. The key distinction is that actively training sumo wrestlers are healthy.

CT scans reveal that sumo wrestlers don't have much visceral fat at all. Instead, they store most of their fat right underneath the skin. That's why scientists think sumo wrestlers are healthy. They have normal levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in their blood, and unexpectedly low levels of cholesterol, both of which lower their risk of heart disease , heart attack, and stroke.

So how did they hit the jackpot on fat? The secret's in their name: sumo wrestler. Studies show that intense exercise may prevent the buildup of visceral fat. Basically, it has to do with how exercise increases a hormone called adiponectin. Adiponectin guides glucose and fat molecules out of our blood stream, where they could build up as visceral fat, and instead puts them underneath the skin.