The Fourth of July fireworks were not the only impressive spectacle to take place this Independence Day.
Renowned competitive eater, Joey Chestnut, devoured a staggering 62 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes at the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, clinching his 16th title and smashing another world record.
But such a feat doesn't come without repercussions. Chestnut, known for his phenomenal eating prowess, recently offered an inside look at his post-competition recovery regime, shedding light on the less glamorous aspects of competitive eating.
"Most people relate to feeling really bloated and tired after Thanksgiving," Joey revealed in an interview with Insider. "It's kind of like that, except really, really bad."
"People have told me they can smell the hot dogs," Joey confessed.
He went on to describe the aftermath of his victory as being "sticky and greasy," with his sweat apparently having a distinctive smell.
Once the competition ends, Joey's first move is to retreat to his hotel room, quench his thirst, and take a well-earned nap.
He mentioned, "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."
For Chestnut, prepping for the hot dog eating contest is a critical task. He sticks to a rigorous two-day cleansing regimen involving only water and lemon juice, aiming to hit the contest with an empty stomach. He elaborates, "My body knows that it's going to be digesting a massive amount of food really quickly, so I make sure it's easy to digest."
Yet despite the grueling aftermath, Chestnut's passion for the sport remains unscathed.
"As long as my body's cooperating, I can see myself doing it for years," he professed. He further emphasized his eagerness to face new challengers, stating, "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."
On the female front, Miki Sudo triumphed, gulping down an impressive 39.5 hot dogs. However, she admitted to The Mirror her slight disappointment with this year's count, attributing it to fiercer competition. Despite this, Sudo remains undeterred and promises to ramp up her training for future contests.
Sudo's advice for aspiring competitors is to let go of self-consciousness, saying: "You can't be afraid to jump in and get silly… don’t be self-conscious!" She also hints at an escalation in her training efforts in response to the growing competition.
The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually in Coney Island, New York, is globally recognized as one of the most prestigious events in competitive eating.
The contest, which coincides with Independence Day, is a spectacle that draws thousands of onlookers keen to witness competitors, men and women alike, push the boundaries of their eating abilities within a tense 10-minute timeframe.
Sanctioned by Major League Eating (MLE), this event truly encapsulates the extreme end of competitive eating.