Takeru Kobayashi holds six consecutive wins for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Competitive eating is viewed as absurd entertainment, but it is truly an endurance sport in many ways. Competitive eaters spend months training for an activity that takes a real toll on the body. The nutritional aspect of training for eating contests resembles what a marathoner might do: carbohydrate-loading. Carb-loading gives the muscles stamina by storing readily-accessible energy that last throughout the competition.
Training for Competitive Eating
Competitive eaters have to stay fit to endure such a grueling competition. In addition to a regular fitness routine, competitive eaters have to stretch their stomachs to accommodate the volume of food consumed in a competition. They do this by downing progressively more food each day until they reach a volume comparable to what they'll eat in competition. This year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, Joey Chestnut, downed 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Staying slim gives competitors an advantage -- their stomachs can expand more when they aren't surrounded with excess fat.
Carbohydrate-Loading
Diet is paramount in the days leading up to competition. Carbohydrates are the best nutrients for storing energy for endurance competitions like eating contests because they are converted to sugar in the bloodstream and then stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, a prime energy source. To properly carb-load, adjust your carbohydrate intake to account for 50 to 55 percent of your total calories one week before competition, a decrease in percentage for most people. Adjust your protein and fat to account for lost carbs. Keep training at normal levels to deplete glycogen stores, making room for the coming load. Three to four days before the event, increase your carbs to 70 percent of total caloric intake, and decrease fat intake. Scale back on training to save up glycogen, and rest the day before the event. Don't enter the competition on an empty stomach. Eat a small breakfast high in carbs and low in fiber to stimulate digestion without filling you up.
Carb-Rich Foods
Carbohydrates are plant-based foods, like grains, fruits and vegetables. Dairy is also high in carbohydrates. During training, competitive eaters should try to consumer 15 servings of grains, six servings of fruit, six servings of vegetables and five servings of low-fat dairy. Good grains include bread, rice and pasta. Low fat yogurt, cheese and milk are carb-rich dairy products. Green vegetables, fruits and fruit juices are good, nutrient-dense vegetables, but starchy vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes and dried beans pack a greater carbohydrate punch per serving.
Foods to Avoid
High-fat foods should be avoided before competition. Fat supplies energy to the body, but it is much slower to break down and start fueling muscles than glycogen. It also takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which can deplete your energy before restoring it. Fiber should also be avoided the day of a contest. Fiber is very filling, and, while it is necessary to eat something the day of a competition, it is not wise to fill up beforehand. Protein is a vital nutrient for most athletes because it builds and repairs muscle. Eating contests require endurance, but competitive eaters do not experience muscle break-down that other athletes do. While protein intake should be maintained during fitness training, it is an insufficient source of energy for the day of a competition.
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