Vsauce!
Kevin here.
Competitive eating or speed eating features contestants clashing to consume the largest
quantity of food in a short period of time.
The competitors are referred to as gurgitators and a 2007 study found that their stomachs
can grow four times that of the average person's and can hold 4 liters.
According to 13th century Norse mythology, the God Loki engaged in an eating contest
with his servant.
The servant won after eating the plate.
Pie eating competitions have been held at local fairs and festivals in the United States
for generations.
Today, the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog eating contest is one of the most popular and dates
back to 1916.
The sport gained major popularity in the 90's when the Shea brothers took the Nathan's hot
dog eating contest to new levels by increasing the attendance and creating the International
Federation of Competitive Eating.
Now called Major League Eating, they hold around 80 events annually.
Kobayashi became the face of competitive eating after devouring a record 50 hot dogs during
his rookie appearance at Nathan's Coney Island contest.
The Kobayashi Shake is a body wiggle he uses to force food down his esophagus and settle
in his stomach.
And he holds Guiness World Records in hot dogs, meatballs, Twinkies, burgers, pizza
and pasta.
Joey Chestnut is currently the number one ranked eater.
He's won the Nathan's famous hot dog contest 7 years in a row - recently breaking his own
world record by eating 69 hot dogs.
His favorite food is Prime Rib and the only thing he won't eat competitively is oysters.
Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti is currently ranked number two and holds the most eating
world records including waffles, fried calamari, and blueberry pie (hands free).
He's a cook that also owns a food truck and his YouTube channel features videos of him
eating 30 peeps in under 35 seconds and engulfing 100 Krispy Kreme donuts.
Tim Janus, also known as "Eater X" sports a mask painted on his face while he competes.
He was the third person in history to eat more than 50 hot dogs and buns.
And tried to be the first person to ever get legally drunk off non alcoholic beer - he
drank almost 30 in hour got to blood alcohol level of .02 and vomited.
In 2012, he was crowned the world burping champion.
Miki Sudo is one of the most famous female competitive eaters and is ranked number 4
with Major League Eating.
She recently set a new record eating 8 and a quarter pounds of food in 6 minutes on What's
Trending and somehow consumed 50 Cadbury creme eggs in just over 6 minutes living up to the
tagline on her website "because everybody's good at something".
44 year old, 98 pound Sonya Thomas is known as "The Black Widow" she holds 20 world eating
records, and has beaten all of the men mentioned so far in at least one contest except for
the one who inspired her to start competing - Kobayashi.
Competitive eaters train by drinking large amounts of fluids and eating low calorie foods
like lettuce to expand the capacity of their stomachs.
Some even chew massive amounts of gum to build jaw strength.
Bob Shoudt chews 25 pieces at a time to strengthen his masticators in order to chew faster.
There are hundreds of competitive eating records around the world - here are a few of most
interesting...
11 pounds of cheesecake in 9 minutes, 17 pounds of cow brains in 15 minutes, 275 pickled jalapeños
in 8 minutes, and 141 pieces of nigiri sushi in 6 minutes.
Doctors say the competitions are dangerous with stomach perforations potentially occurring
for those with undiagnosed ulcers and water intoxication occurring from gulping massive
quantities of water.
But so far the only documented injury from a competition has been a fracture jaw.
..... and as always, thanks for watching.