How To Win An Eating Contest
This one is a little silly, but have you ever wondered how people get ready for an eating contest? Personally, I am not particularly interested in participating, but I have always wondered how people do it. I either think hot dogs, or hot wings. I've done a little research, and have some tricks. First, the common rules.
Rules
Competitive eating contests often adhere to an 8, 10, 12, or 15 minute time limit. Most contests are presided over by a master of ceremonies. A countdown from 10 usually takes place at the end of the contest, with all eating coming to an end with the expiration of time.
Many professional contests also employ a series of judges, whose role is to enforce the contest rules and warn eaters about infractions. Judges will also be called upon to count or weigh each competitor's food and certify the results of the contest prior to the winner being announced.
Many eaters will attempt to put as much food in their mouths as possible during the final seconds of a contest, a practice known by professionals as "chipmunking". If chipmunking is allowed in a contest, eaters are given a reasonable amount of time (typically less than two minutes) to swallow the food or risk a deduction from their final totals.
In many contests, eaters are allowed to dunk foods in water or other liquids in order to soften the food and make it easier to chew and swallow. Dunking typically takes place with foods involving a bun or other doughy parts.
Competitors are required to maintain a relatively clean eating surface throughout the contest. Excess debris after the contest results in a deduction from the eater's final totals.
If, at any point during or immediately after the contest, a competitor regurgitates any food, he or she will be disqualified. Vomiting, also known as a "reversal", or, as ESPN calls it, a "reversal of fortune", includes obvious signs of vomiting.
Training and preparation
Stomach elasticity (ability to stretch quickly) is usually considered the key to eating success, and competitors commonly train by drinking large amounts of water over a short time to stretch out the stomach. Others combine the consumption of water with large quantities of low calorie foods such as vegetables or salads.
Jaw strength is considered another important factor. You can chew the food more quickly to a size you can swallow. Some eaters chew large amounts of gum in order to build jaw strength.
Perhaps paradoxically, maintaining a low body fat percentage is thought to be helpful in competitive eating; this is known as the belt of fat theory.
Wet foods are easier to eat as well, so many do try to employ a dunking method whenever possible.