P225 - ANALYSIS OF BLOOD TEST IN COLLEGE SUMO WRESTLERS WITH BMI OVER 30 DURING 4 YEARS

P225

ANALYSIS OF BLOOD TEST IN COLLEGE SUMO WRESTLERS WITH BMI OVER 30 DURING 4 YEARS

T. Sato^1,*, M. Nakajima¹, Y. Takeishi², K. Nakajima³, M. Hasegawa¹, Y. Aoto¹

¹Jissen Women's University, Tokyo, ²Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences, Fukuoka, ³Kiryu University, Gunma, Japan

Rationale: Obesity may be considered a lifestyle-related disorder. Sumo wrestling is one of the traditional cultural practices of Japan, and in this sport, a larger body mass with greater weight is considered advantageous. However, there is insufficient data on the relationship between obesity and body composition in Japanese Sumo wrestling. The objective of this study was to investigate blood test results from university enrollment to graduation in sumo undergoing high-intensity training.

Methods: Four top-level male Sumo wrestling athletes who belong to a college Sumo association in Japan (BMI 39.0 ± 7.40 kg/m²) participated in this study as volunteers. Eight blood tests were conducted biannually, once in the spring upon university entry and again in the winter at the end of the year. The blood tests included total cholesterol, CHOL(mg/dL), albumin(g/dL), γ-GTP(IU/L), ALT(IU/L), and blood protein(g/dL). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. This study was approved by the research ethics committee of Jissen Women's University (approval numbers: H2023-10). 

Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in body mass at graduation (115.5±17.5 kg) compared to enrollment (125.3±22.9 kg). However, no significant differences were found during the four years in cholesterol, albumin, total protein, γ-GPT, and ALT levels. For albumin, total protein, and γ-GPT, none of the subjects exceeded the health examination reference values during the 4-year period.

Conclusion: Although the body physique of the subjects was classified as obese according to BMI, the blood test results of sumo wrestlers were predominantly within the healthy range. As they increased their food intake to enhance their competitiveness, their body mass increased, on average, by 10 kg over the four years. However, many of their blood test results remained within normal limits.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared