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World-class athletes are the people who push human potential to its edge — the fastest runners and lithest gymnasts. They spend years training for mere minutes of competition.
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But what about the best eaters?
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Competitive eating is very much a “not sport” — a pursuit that just falls shy of being a sport.
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1. There is a clear elite class of eaters — folks like Joey Chestnut (pictured) don’t come along often.
2. Competitive eating draws crowds, in real life and online.
3. People pay to see it.
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This is the closest thing we have to an Olympics of eating. It includes the International Federation of Competitive Eating — basically, MLE is the league and the IFOCE is FIFA.
Not only do you need to swallow your disgust, but you will need to rewire your brain so you can power through the barrage of neurotransmitters telling you that you’re full.
Big leaguers expand their stomachs to hold more food by chugging gallons of water or milk. They also prep by eating enormous, low-calorie, high-fiber meals — think a tower of iceberg lettuce.
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A common way for super eaters to build jaw strength is by chewing gum — sometimes up to 20 pieces at a time.
You may have never given much thought to swallowing techniques, but this aspect of high-octane eating is key.
Learn either to take bigger bites or small bites in rapid succession. Tilting your head back means gravity helps the work of peristalsis, in which food naturally squeezes its way down toward your stomach.
Drinking too much water in a short amount of time can make you sick. And crash dieting can permanently alter how you metabolize food.
Basically: Consult with your doctor if you plan to train for competitive eating.
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