Sumo, the age-old Japanese sport of wrestling that pits huge athletes weighing more than 40 pounds (265 kg) in the ring, is facing a health crisis.
Wrestlers withdrawing from fall events have reached double digits, with top fighters succumbing to injuries and health problems.
Dozens of fighters have withdrawn from this season’s events due to a variety of ailments, including excessive sweating, breathing problems, joint diseases, diabetes complications and more.
Titans of the sport such as Takakeisho, 28, a former holder of sumo’s second highest rank, have been forced to retire after injuries to his feet, knees and neck.
The crisis has prompted calls in some quarters for the sport to quickly modernize and take steps such as imposing weight limits and more medical input into training.
Terunofuji (left) and Takakeisho (right) are two sumo titans who recently retired from the sport permanently due to health issues in Takakeisho’s case. The pair are pictured here fighting in 2021
Unlike boxing, sumo has no weight division, meaning that, provided a wrestler can still compete, they are incentivized to pile on the pounds to better dominate the opposition.
But this can be at the expense of their health.
Sumo’s grand champion Terunofuji is also out of action as diabetes hampers his recovery from injuries he suffered previously in the ring.
The times According to his stable master, Isegahama, he has not been able to exercise because of his bad knees. If he can sweat, his blood sugar level will drop again.’
Japanese media have also listed a series of other sumo wrestlers, technically called rikishi, who have been forced to withdraw due to a host of health issues.
Commentators have warned for years that sumo is facing a growing health crisis, with athletes competing longer and gaining weight over time.
In the 1950s the average rikishi was a relatively small 17th (110 kg), but this has since grown to 25th (160 kg).
But this is an average; some wrestlers weighed a whopping 42st (265 kg), with some fighters consuming 10,000 calories a day, five times the recommended amount for the average man.
Takayasu, seen here in the red loincloth called a mawashi, is another wrestler who has had to withdraw from the fall season due to old issues
According to the BMI system, a score of 18.5 to 25 is healthy. A score of 25 to 29 counts as overweight, and 30-plus means someone is obese, the stage at which the risk of disease increases dramatically
This has led to calls for reforms. One of these is sumo coach Takehiko Daiguji, who said: ‘I think a sumo wrestler’s BMI should be between 40 and 43, so it’s a good idea to have a rule that says it shouldn’t exceed 45 .’
“Anything more than that puts you at greater risk of injury.”
BMI, or body mass index, is a calculation that uses weight, height and some basic demographic information such as gender and ethnicity to determine whether a person is a healthy weight.
Although some doctors have said the system is flawed, it is generally seen as a good overall indicator of obesity in public health.
A BMI score of 18.5 to 25 is healthy. A score of 25 to 29 is considered overweight, and 30-plus means that someone is obese, the stage at which the risk of disease increases dramatically.
So even limiting rikishi to a BMI of 45 would still be well above what is generally recommended for good health, although wrestlers typically have more muscle than a non-athlete with the same BMI.
It would disqualify a large number of current athletes. For example, the recently retired Takakeisho measured a BMI of just under 54 at 175 cm (5ft 8 inches) and 26st (165 kg).
Others have suggested that sumo should move away from some of its traditional elements and come into contact with modern sports medicine and nutritionists.
John Gunning, the sumo correspondent of The Japan Times recently wrote: ‘It is incongruous to see that in 2024, professional sumo wrestlers are still devouring large meals rich in sodium and processed sugar at all hours of the day and night.
He added: ‘Although the use of gyms and strength training has increased, it is often ad hoc with no scientific basis for what exercises are done.’
It is well known that obesity increases the risk of several serious health problems that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure, as well as cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, being overweight is estimated to cause as many as one in 20 cases of cancer in the UK.