Digestive Hazard? The Science of Speed Eating

I've often wondered how those competitive food-inhalers do it--consuming vast amounts of donuts, hot dogs, watermelon and everything in between. My wonder resurfaces every year on July Fourth as Nathans's Famous hot dog eating contest gets major media coverage, including an ESPN chomp-by-chomp. It was no different yesterday when Joey Chestnut won the dubious honor of being the world's fastest eater ever, setting a new record when he gobbled 66 hot dogs (and buns) in 12 minutes at the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest in New York.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2007 Part 1


That's a rate of one dog every 10.9 seconds--such god-speed velocity that makes my stomach churn and burn just thinking about it.


Chestnut out-ate Takeru Kobayashi, the Japanese competitive eating champion who has won the contest for the past six years. He placed second, downing a mere 63 dogs during a mad-digestive race to the finish. Kobayashi also holds world records for guzzling cow brains and rice balls. But this time he succumbed to mouth-woes, reporting jaw arthritis and wisdom tooth pain.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2007 Part 2


Inquiring Minds Want to Know: The Inside Digestive System Scoop
No one ever reports whether the victor purges after gulping and gorging his (or her) way to the finish. In my search for answers I came across an organization I thought would help--the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFCE). I never EVEN knew there was an International Federation of Competitive Eating! But aside from how to join, latest news and a short paragraph about safety, I can't find any additional info. Darn.

The media also never share if these competitors digestive-systems are shocked into submission or merely pushed into an enzyme-laden frenzy, breaking down the mass quantity of food slower or faster than normal? How do these speed-eaters hold such huge amounts of food? Are they glued to their toilet seats for days after the event or are they so constipated and miserable? What do they do to train for this? How can they even look at food again after such an event? More importantly, what happens to their digestive systems--and their bodies in general--when they are involved in such "unnatural" binging?

We know how the digestive system works typically, but what happens if we're speed-eating competitors?

Well, I think National Geographic just may have the answers in its new documentary, The Science of Speed-Eating, which premieres Sunday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m. It airs again on Sunday July 15 at 11 a.m.

You can watch a preview here.

National Geographic says the film "bites into the gut-wrenching world of competitive eating as doctors examine a competitive eaters stomach. Follow along with three of the worlds top competitors as they devour their way through the professional speed eating circuit."

Check out NGC producer Dan Cesareo's blog for insight on the making of this documentary. From what I can tell, it wasn't always pretty.

You can bet I'll be watching and hoping my questions are answered! Stay tuned!

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