Competitive eating's impact on the digestive system: Health professionals discuss the potential side effects of gorging on hot dogs.
In the thrilling world of competitive eating, athletes like Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo have gained fame for their remarkable feats. However, a new study reveals that these athletes face significant long-term effects on their stomach and overall health due to the extreme nature of their sport.
During a recent contest, a competitive eater was able to ingest an impressive 36 hot dogs, while a control subject stopped after eating seven due to feeling sick. This highlights the vast difference in eating capacity between a competitive eater and a regular individual.
Hot dogs, a common food in competitive eating, are high in sodium. One Nathan's Original Coney Island hot dog contains 480 milligrams of sodium. With the huge calorie loads consumed in minutes (sometimes over 20,000 calories), the spike in sodium can cause blood pressure to soar, putting pressure on blood vessels in the body. This increase in blood pressure could potentially cause a heart attack or stroke.
The USDA recommends Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. Eating fewer than five hot dogs would exceed this limit. High-sodium diets are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, a major cause of both stroke and heart disease.
Stomach effects are also a significant concern for competitive eaters. Their stomachs regularly stretch far beyond normal capacity to hold several liters of food during contests, which is possible because the human stomach is very elastic. However, this repeated extreme stretching can place considerable strain on digestive organs. Acute symptoms can include nausea, heartburn, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fatigue, and sluggishness caused by blood sugar spikes followed by crashes.
Repeated episodes of binge eating in competitive eating are linked to increased risk of metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. The digestive system is overwhelmed during competitions as blood flow is redirected from other organs to the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause light-headedness or fainting.
Competitive eating can also foster unhealthy attitudes towards food quantity and body image, potentially impacting social norms around eating. The sport faces calls for regulation and ethical oversight to balance entertainment with safety and long-term well-being of participants.
Official organizations strongly discourage unsupervised or home training due to these risks, advising aspiring competitors to only participate in sanctioned contests. Despite these risks, competitive eating continues to captivate audiences worldwide, with athletes like Chestnut and Sudo pushing the human body to its limits.
In the immediate aftermath of eating contests, participants report feeling extremely bloated and tired. During competitive eating, competitors also consume a large amount of carbs from the buns. This leads to a large load of protein, carbohydrates, and starches being dumped into the small intestine. Gastroenterologists have suggested that the practice of competitive eating could potentially impact gastric emptying and the normal contraction of the stomach.
Competitive eaters have reported using various methods to train and expand their stomach capacity, such as ingesting vast amounts of cabbage or water loading. The high level of fat in competitive eating can cause nausea, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal distress. Some competitive eaters have reported pain in their face, jaw, and neck due to the amount of chewing and swallowing involved.
It's important to note that competitive eating is a relatively new sport with a small number of participants. Despite the risks, the allure of breaking records and winning prizes continues to draw competitors from around the globe. As the sport evolves, it remains crucial to prioritise the safety and well-being of its athletes.
- The study unveils that competitive eating, made famous by athletes like Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, can cause significant long-term effects on their health due to the extreme nature of the sport, including potential heart attacks or strokes.
- The USDA recommends Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, yet eating fewer than five hot dogs would exceed this limit, raising the risk of developing high blood pressure, a major cause of both stroke and heart disease.
- Stomach effects are also a significant concern for competitive eaters, as their repeated extreme stretching can place considerable strain on digestive organs, potentially causing symptoms like nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea.
- Repeated episodes of binge eating in competitive eating are linked to increased risks of metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
- Competitive eating can foster unhealthy attitudes towards food quantity and body image, potentially impacting social norms around eating, and faces calls for regulation and ethical oversight to balance entertainment with safety and long-term well-being of participants.
