Each year, the Fourth of July brings the famous Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, where competitors devour an astounding number of hot dogs and buns while consuming a massive amount of calories. Despite a delay caused by stormy weather, Joey Chestnut retained his championship title by devouring 62 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes at the event held in Brooklyn, New York's Coney Island.
Last year, Chestnut secured his 15th victory by consuming 63 hot dogs and buns. In 2021, he became the reigning hot dog-eating world champion, devouring 76 hot dogs and buns. The women's record, held by eight-time champion Miki Sudo, stands at 48.5 hot dogs and buns. Sudo emerged victorious this year with 39.5 hot dogs and buns.
Let's examine the nutritional breakdown of this year's champion feast.
What about the calorie intake of Joey Chestnut?
Based on the nutrition facts provided by Nathan's, one serving of their Original Coney Island natural casing beef frank contains approximately 170 calories (varying for other varieties). At the same time, one restaurant-style bun accounts for 130 calories.
This year, Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs and buns, amounting to 10,540 calories from the Franks and an additional 8,060 calories from the buns, totaling a staggering 18,600 calories consumed. Last year, with 63 hot dogs and buns, his total reached an even higher count of 18,900 calories. This amount is nearly six times the recommended daily average for a man of age and size. In his record-setting year of 76 hot dogs and buns, his calorie intake would have reached an astounding 22,800 calories!
Furthermore, each Nathan's natural casing beef frank contains 16 grams of total fat and 480 milligrams of sodium, contributing to approximately 21% of the daily recommended values for fat and sodium per dog. With 62 franks consumed this year, Chestnut's total fat and sodium intake equaled 992 grams and 29,760 milligrams, respectively. It's important to note that diets high in sodium are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a significant cause of stroke and heart disease.
How do competitive eaters manage to consume such massive quantities?
While a regular eater typically feels full after consuming around one to one and a half liters of food, competitive eaters learn to stretch and relax their stomachs to accommodate more. They achieve this by consuming large quantities of low-calorie foods and liquids such as water, diet soda, watermelon, and cabbage.
However, there are limits to the stretching capacity of the stomach. Just like in any competition, there will be winners and losers, and all competitive eaters eventually reach their limits. The aftermath of such enormous binges varies depending on the individual and the type of food consumed. Nausea, painful gas, vomiting, heartburn, and diarrhea are common side effects of competitive eating, as previously reported by CBS News. More severe consequences can include choking, esophageal inflammation, and, in rare cases, stomach rupture.
Major League Eating, the governing body overseeing professional eating contests, including Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, ensures strict safety protocols at their events. These protocols include having an emergency medical technician present and requiring participants to be 18 years of age or older. On their website, Major League Eating explicitly advises against attempting speed eating at home.
In conclusion, the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest showcases remarkable feats of consumption, with Joey Chestnut consistently emerging as the reigning champion. While the spectacle is filled with jaw-dropping numbers, it is essential to remember the potential health risks and the strict safety measures implemented to mitigate them.
Click here for more trending news
You can also follow us on our Twitter page
You can also follow us on our Tumblr page
You can also follow us on our Pinterest page