The Nasty Truth Of What Competitive Hot Dog Eating Does To Your Stomach

Not everyone spends their days pondering the brief history of the hot dog and its bun. But since the 1970s, that history has included competitive hot dog eating, which is exactly what it sounds like. At such an event, contestants gather, usually on or around July 4, and try to consume as many hot dogs (often with the bun) as possible. If watching this competition is a mistake that would ruin your future hot dog experiences — imagine participating in one.

Competitive hot dog-eating pros like Joey Chestnut, who has eaten as many as 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, have some people wondering what goes on in the body during and after this unique process. The truth isn't pretty. There aren't an excessive amount of studies done on the effects of speed-eating hot dogs, but researchers have found that there's a possibility of the stomach stretching too far, too rapidly, and reaching a point of no return. 

The human stomach stretches and contracts with eating and digestion. Typically the size of a fist before we eat a meal, our stomachs expand as we consume food, and as our bodies break it down, our stomach can then retract to its former size. This process becomes intensified when done at such a large and rapid pace.

In one study, researchers asked participants to inject an effervescent agent and a high-density barium used for medical imaging before eating as many hot dogs as they could in a 12-minute timeframe. The study found that as the food moved through the bodies of the participants, their stomachs enlarged at alarming rates, which led researchers to conclude that there's a risk of pushing the stomach to the point of no return and damaging it permanently.

Many competitive eaters go to great lengths to prepare for such events, with methods ranging from fasting to chugging gallons of water. When it comes time to eat, many can relax their stomachs to fit more food than most. This preparation doesn't take away the risk of stomach damage, though. 

When someone's stomach becomes permanently enlarged, that person is at risk of gastroparesis, which prevents the stomach muscles from moving food in a natural manner, and in turn, causes stomach contents to be digested at a much slower rate. This condition can lead to chronic nausea, vomiting, and pain while also creating problems with blood sugar. Correcting gastroparesis sometimes requires a gastrectomy, a surgical procedure in which part or all of the stomach is removed. While some get a thrill out of hot dog eating contests and will never quit the game, the rest of us can sit back and enjoy our hot dogs with some delicious condiments one by one.