SI.com · Jul 16, 2020
Scientists Determine Human Limit for Hot Dog Consumption
Joey Chestnut is nearly a perfect eating machine
The Nathan’s hot dog eating contest world record has been broken a whopping 11 times in the past 20 years. In 2000, Kazutoyo Arai set a new record with 25 hot dogs and buns (HDB) consumed, only to have Takeru Kobayashi shatter that mark with 50 the following year. The high water mark (or maybe the high sodium mark) now stands at 75 HDB after Joey Chestnut’s 13th win earlier this month.
After winning with 66 HDB in 2007, Chestnut has slowly increased his total nearly every year, giving the impression that there’s no limit to what he can fit in his gut. But there is a limit, of course, and science has found what it is.