Winner of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Fourth of July Eats 58 Hot Dogs in 10 Minutes; How Does Competitive Eating Affect the Body?

This year's winner achieved a hot-dog-eating record of 58.

For this year's contest, competitors gathered in Coney Island.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

39-year-old Patrick Bertoletti was behind the impressive feat.

Last year, Joey Chestnut was the one who earned the victory after consuming 62 chunks. However, due to Chestnut's collaboration with a rival plant-based hot dog producer, he could not join this year's contest.

Among women, Miki Sudo also achieved her 10th title. This was after she ate 51 hot dogs and buns.

How Does Competitive Eating Affect the Body?

Just five seconds of this competitive eating can lead to hot dog bits going into the esophagus, which is the tube that enters the stomach.

However, since the food is not sufficiently chewed, the chunks could enter the airway and lead to choking.

Though there are readily available paramedics, choking is the highest risk in every speed-eating contest. It can even lead to death.

With the constant accumulation of hot dogs in the body, the risks also build up. Since the stomach cannot accept the food at such a speed, it may end up piling up within the lower esophagus. Such a "traffic jam" could lead to the forceful return of the food, which could cause choking and esophagus risks.

In some cases, surgery could be necessary to fix these issues. This was noted by retired gastroenterology professor Dr. David Metz, who has studied speed-eating effects.

Some competitors could have already gobbled up ten hot dogs in just two minutes. The stomach then starts expanding in order to accommodate the barrage.

Speed-eaters have undergone training with increasing quantities of food in order to boost stomach elasticity. Hence, the stomach usually stresses more, similar to spider silk.

After seven minutes, some of the early hot dog pieces have already started exploring the small intestine. Though this organ plays a crucial role in food digestion and nutrient absorption, such functions could be sabotaged if it has to handle up to 22,800 calories in just one meal.

One of the issues is that excessive glucose could end up being dumped into the small intestine. Such an influx would trigger a panic mode, called the dumping syndrome, in the body as it tries to avoid organ damage. Dumping syndrome involves a rapid heartbeat, heavy sweating, diarrhea, and nausea.

Further study of the syndrome is necessary.

Another issue is that several pieces of the hot dog remain mostly undigested even after they move through the churning of the stomach. Small-intestine bacteria could end up fermenting the chunks, which could lead to the overgrowth of bacteria. This could further result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other issues.

Dr. Metz explains that no one should try such bouts of competitive eating and speed-eating at home.

A long-term concern associated with such competitive eating is that the stomachs of these speed-eaters may have permanently expanded. Because of this, they will never feel full again, regardless of how much they eat.

Some former competitors may simply tell themselves to stop eating in order to avoid becoming obese. They may not depend on the signals of their stomach.

Competitive eaters could also end up developing other medical conditions associated with unhealthy diets, such as diabetes and heart disease. The act of speed-eating has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an unhealthy practice.

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