sources
editHealth effects
editIn contrast to many sports where fat is seen as something to be shed, sumo instead encourages the accumulation of fat as a weapon.[1] The Sumo Association tries ensure the health of its wrestlers by imposing an annual medical check-up.[2] Sumo wrestlers' have a life expectancy influenced by their weight, although one of the biggest causes of death among wrestlers is also their professional success.[3] Wrestlers burn excess fat during their demanding workouts and learn to build muscle during the first few months of their career.[1] Even though the majority of rikishi have a body fat percentage of 20% or less, some are morbidly obese.[1] The fattest rikishi develop type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, and are prone to heart attacks.[2] Poor circulation and the stress on their joints due to their excess weight can cause arthritis.[2][4]
In the rearly 2000s, the life expectancy of a sumo wrestler was of 65, which is 10 years shorter than that of the average Japanese male,[4] as the diet and sport take a toll on the wrestler's body.[5][6] The excessive intake of alcohol can lead to liver problems. The repeated blows to the head sumo wrestlers take can also cause long-term cognitive issues, similar to those seen in boxers.[7][8] The main health concern for wrestlers, however, remains the common cold or any other type of viral infection, which are easily transmitted in the heya (wrestlers' training quarters) environment, where the low-ranking wrestlers' dormitories are conducive to disease transmission.[2] This ease of infection was particularly closely monitored in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, giving rise to numerous concerns about the number of wrestlers that could be affected by the virus.[9] Since the 2000s, the standards of weight gain became less strict to try to improve the health of the wrestlers.[4][7]
- ^ a b c Schilling 1994, p. 72.
- ^ a b c d Hall 1997, p. 93.
- ^ Lemez, Srdjan; Baker, Joseph (2015). "Do elite athletes live longer? A systematic review of mortality and longevity in elite athletes". Sports Medicine - Open. 1 (16): 711–712. doi:10.1186/s40798-015-0024-x – via Springer Open.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
DiscoverBecomingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hoshi, Akio; Inaba, Yutaka (1995). "相撲力士の死亡率とその要因について" [Risk factors for mortality and mortality rate of sumo wrestlers.]. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi (Japanese Journal of Hygiene). 50 (3): 730–736. doi:10.1265/jjh.50.730. ISSN 0021-5082 – via J-STAGE.
- ^ Kanda, Hideyuki; Hayakawa, Takehito; Tsuboi, Satoshi; Mori, Yayoi; Takahashi, Teruna; Fukushima, Tetsuhito (2009). "Higher Body Mass Index is a Predictor of Death Among Professional Sumo Wrestlers". Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. 8 (4): 711–712. ISSN 1303-2968. PMC 3761530. PMID 24137100.
- ^ a b Suzuki, Takahiro (4 October 218). "貴乃花問題で誰も触れない横綱のリアル寿命 ガチンコ相撲で年間90日興行はムリがある" [Yokozuna's real life span that no one touches on the Takanohana issue]. Toyo Keizai. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ McCurry, Justin (6 February 2021). "Conservative world of sumo slow to take action on concussion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ Takashi Kishimoto (1 March 2020). "75年前もそうだった…『無観客』でも大相撲の根底は何も揺るがない!［記者の目］". Chunichi Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 June 2024.