Most average individuals know that the feeling of overeating after a holiday dinner can be awful, and every single person tuning into yesterday's competitive eating competition is imagining that the 'athletes' feel similarly disgusting - just multiplied exponentially.
But what actually happens to the human body when you overeat or overeat enough to be top in a competition? The Daily Mirror reached out to medical experts around the world to find out for you.
The 2023 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating competition featured 31 people eating yesterday, men and women. Each one of these individuals is a professional competitive eater who had to qualify for the contest and is sponsored by Major League Eating (MLE).
They've trained for events like this before and know what the process entails.
So if you're thinking about becoming a professional eater, like Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, you better prepare for some horrific things to happen to your body first.
Doctor explains what happens to your body right after overeating
Dr. Shara Cohen, Founder and Director of Mums in Science, says: "Eating contests, especially those using 62 or 40 hot dogs, can be fatal. Overeating causes discomfort, indigestion, and nausea due to stomach stretching."
Luckily, all those competing yesterday are quite experienced - and it does explain why Nathan's and the MLE doesn't let just anyone join their ranks.
"Rapid eating has been linked to gas and abdominal pain. Overeating meals that are rich in calories, fat, and processing can lead to health problems like obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease. While the effects of competitive eating can be overcome, they may be more severe with recurrence. Maintaining a healthy balance requires moderation," Cohen continues.
In a recent interview, Joey Chestnut (who won 2023 with 62 hot dogs) explained the after-effects that he's been seeing after doing this for 16 years.
"Most people relate to feeling really bloated and tired after Thanksgiving," Chestnut said. "It's kind of like that, except really, really bad."
"People have told me they can smell the hot dogs," Joey said. "I really can't, but the sweat afterward, it feels sticky and greasy. My girlfriend says it smells different," muses the champion of hot dog eating, nicknamed Joey Jaws.
Body reacts for hours after eating too much
Helen Bell, a nutritionist at UK Care Guide added: "The human body may take a few days to return to a comfortable state after such intensive stress. However, this varies as it depends on an individual's baseline fitness, metabolic rate, and existing health conditions. Some people may experience prolonged indigestion, bloating, and discomfort even weeks after the event."
Both champions can agree with this statement. When asked how she was feeling after the contest, Miki Sudo, winner of the women's division with 39.5 hot dogs, said “I mean, right now, I have almost 40 hot dogs in my stomach, I don’t know how much that weighs, but my son weighs 35 lbs, so when I was carrying him around, that was pretty difficult."
"I don’t know, I don’t do this every day. It would not be okay,” says Sudo.
"Afterward, I'm crazy exhausted, and usually my first thing is either I'm thirsty or I want to go to sleep. I usually take a nap as soon as I can," Joey Chestnut says in agreement.
"It's natural," Joey said. "If you eat a lot of food, you're going to go to the bathroom."
Risks of competitive eating
"Engaging in competitive eating occasionally may not cause significant harm if it's an isolated incident. However, repeated participation in such events can lead to chronic health issues and long-term consequences. It's important to note that the risks associated with competitive eating outweigh any potential benefits, and maintaining a balanced and healthy diet is crucial for overall well-being," says Mary Sabat MS, RDN, LD, a nutritionist.
Chestnut has mentioned more than once that he does a two-day cleanse before competing, mostly surviving on water and lemon to get his system prepped for that much food.
Another medical expert, Susie Tushingham warned, "Masticators that do so regularly are at risk of developing muscular dysfunction as they really push their stomach muscles to limits. Also, morbid obesity is also highly likely to develop in these competitors. The bodies of such individuals change only for the worse because, in pursuit of winning such competitions, self-destructive behaviours are encouraged."
Luckily, most of those competing in yesterday's famous competition seemed pretty in shape and logical about the situation.
"As long as my body's cooperating, I can see myself doing it for years," Chestnut said. "And one of these days, someone is going to come — some absolute boss, man or woman — and challenge me, and I'm looking forward to it."
"I love the competition, and it's still exciting," he added.
For those wondering why anyone would do this - our guess is that sports like hiking, running, and lifting hurt too, and can cause potential long-term - but people do it anyway.
