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Every Fourth of July, the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest produces astonishing numbers. Fans count hot dogs, cheer new records and watch the world's best competitive eaters push the limits of the human body.
But another number stands out after the contest ends: calories.
The champions in the men's and women's competitions consumed the equivalent of several days' worth of food in just 10 minutes. Their totals underscore the extraordinary physical demands of competitive eating, an event that has become a July 4 tradition at the original Nathan's Famous restaurant on Coney Island in New York.
This year's contest, held as the nation celebrated America's 250th birthday, once again showcased some of the world's top competitive eaters as they raced against the clock to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible.
Miki Sudo continued her dominance in the women's competition, capturing her 12th Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest title after eating 38 3/4 hot dogs and buns. She finished well ahead of Michelle Lesco, who placed second with 22 hot dogs.
On the men's side, Joey Chestnut claimed another Mustard Belt by eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The victory added to the 18-time champion's remarkable legacy at Coney Island, where he has become the face of competitive eating. In 2021, Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs and hot dog buns, the most ever consumed in the contest's history.
According to Nathan's nutritional information, one Nathan's Famous bun-length beef frank contains 140 calories, while a Nathan's restaurant-style hot dog bun contains 130 calories. Together, each completed hot dog and bun totals 270 calories.
Here's what that means for this year's winners:
For comparison, the Cleveland Clinic says most adults need between 1,600 and 3,000 calories per day, depending on factors such as age, sex and activity level. That means Sudo consumed roughly 3.5 to 6.5 days worth of calories, while Chestnut consumed about 6 to more than 11 days worth in just 10 minutes.
Competitive eating is more than a test of appetite. It places extraordinary stress on the digestive system.
Elite eaters spend weeks preparing for Nathan's contest by training their stomachs to hold larger volumes of food, often by drinking large amounts of water or eating bulky, low-calorie foods. Chestnut has previously said he begins full contest simulations about eight weeks before the competition.
During the contest, competitors rapidly swallow hot dogs and water-soaked buns with very little chewing. Their stomachs expand dramatically to accommodate the massive volume of food, while digestion slows as the body works to process thousands of calories, along with large amounts of sodium and fat.
Afterward, many competitive eaters report bloating, nausea, dehydration and hours, or even days, of recovery, illustrating that the spectacle on Coney Island is as much a feat of physiology as it is a Fourth of July tradition.
USA TODAY reporter Jennifer Borreson contributed to this report.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at [email protected], or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winners ate this many calories
Continue reading...
But another number stands out after the contest ends: calories.
The champions in the men's and women's competitions consumed the equivalent of several days' worth of food in just 10 minutes. Their totals underscore the extraordinary physical demands of competitive eating, an event that has become a July 4 tradition at the original Nathan's Famous restaurant on Coney Island in New York.
This year's contest, held as the nation celebrated America's 250th birthday, once again showcased some of the world's top competitive eaters as they raced against the clock to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible.
Nathan's champions win again
Miki Sudo continued her dominance in the women's competition, capturing her 12th Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest title after eating 38 3/4 hot dogs and buns. She finished well ahead of Michelle Lesco, who placed second with 22 hot dogs.
On the men's side, Joey Chestnut claimed another Mustard Belt by eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The victory added to the 18-time champion's remarkable legacy at Coney Island, where he has become the face of competitive eating. In 2021, Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs and hot dog buns, the most ever consumed in the contest's history.
How many calories did the 2026 Nathan's champions eat?
According to Nathan's nutritional information, one Nathan's Famous bun-length beef frank contains 140 calories, while a Nathan's restaurant-style hot dog bun contains 130 calories. Together, each completed hot dog and bun totals 270 calories.
Here's what that means for this year's winners:
- Women's champion Miki Sudo: 38 3/4 hot dogs × 270 calories = 10,462.5 calories
- Men's champion Joey Chestnut: 66 hot dogs × 270 calories = 17,820 calories
For comparison, the Cleveland Clinic says most adults need between 1,600 and 3,000 calories per day, depending on factors such as age, sex and activity level. That means Sudo consumed roughly 3.5 to 6.5 days worth of calories, while Chestnut consumed about 6 to more than 11 days worth in just 10 minutes.
What happens to the body during a hot dog eating contest?
Competitive eating is more than a test of appetite. It places extraordinary stress on the digestive system.
Elite eaters spend weeks preparing for Nathan's contest by training their stomachs to hold larger volumes of food, often by drinking large amounts of water or eating bulky, low-calorie foods. Chestnut has previously said he begins full contest simulations about eight weeks before the competition.
During the contest, competitors rapidly swallow hot dogs and water-soaked buns with very little chewing. Their stomachs expand dramatically to accommodate the massive volume of food, while digestion slows as the body works to process thousands of calories, along with large amounts of sodium and fat.
Afterward, many competitive eaters report bloating, nausea, dehydration and hours, or even days, of recovery, illustrating that the spectacle on Coney Island is as much a feat of physiology as it is a Fourth of July tradition.
USA TODAY reporter Jennifer Borreson contributed to this report.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at [email protected], or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winners ate this many calories
Continue reading...
