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Champion Eater Tells How He Does It

The Associated Press

Joey Chestnut says he didn't want to be a competitive eater when he was growing up; "It was something that chose me."

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 3, 2008

Joey Chestnut, 24, set a world record by devouring 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes during Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest last year and recently answered five questions about the growing popularity of competitive eating.

Q: Do you actually have to prepare for an eating competition?

A: A lot more than you would think. It usually takes about two months to build up a tolerance for hot dogs to get to not only used to ingesting, but digesting that many hot dogs. I have to make sure my body is absolutely empty to eat hot dogs. I have a reason to eat that much food. When I'm not eating, I'll drink lots of milk and lots of water and use the muscles around my stomach to stretch.

Q: Do you and Kobayashi actually hate each other?

A: We might like each other in 15 years when we're done. A lot of us are close friends. I push myself harder when Kobayashi is in a competition. I respect his ability. I want to beat him more than anything. Kobayashi has a crazy style. He tried to eat his barf in the contest. He was willing to do goofy things. He was losing control. He's crazy to do what he does for a living 24-7.

Q: Did you grow up wanting to be a competitive eater?

A: I didn't grow up wanting to do this at all. It's something that chose me. I entered a contest [lobster eating in April 2005] and after the first contest, I knew my body was made for it. I got a call from one of the Shea brothers [Major League Eating organizers] and he offered me a spot and I said, 'Yeah, I'll do it.' I had never eaten lobster before. I was so mad because I didn't know what I was doing and apparently I was eating the lobster guts. I didn't know what the heck I was doing at all. Two weeks later, I entered a deep-fried asparagus eating contest, which was only an hour away from my house [in San Jose, Calif.] and I won that contest. Then it was pretty much every couple of weekends I'd enter a contest. I won a rib contest, wing contest, spiral ham. I won a grilled cheese sandwich eating contest by eating 47 in 10 minutes and I won a Krystal hamburger contest by eating 103 in eight minutes.

Q: Can you enjoy eating in a restaurant after being in so many competitions?

A: I will take seven or eight weeks off sometimes and go on a pretty normal diet. I will eat a normal portion of my mom's chicken parmesan. I can put my body back onto a normal eating schedule.

Q: Does your stomach always tolerate the high amount of food you eat?

A: There are some times when my body does not cooperate. I will have heartburn and it will be like a Pepto-Bismol commercial. Other times my body handles it perfectly.

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