Joey Chestnut, a California native, turned his engineering skills into a passion for records, kicking off his competitive-eating journey in 2005. He shot to fame in 2007 after devouring 66 hot dogs, beating Takeru Kobayashi in the process. Over the years, Chestnut has snagged the Mustard Belt 16 times, showcasing a mix of sheer appetite and dedicated discipline in his performances. He really got the hang of building jaw and throat strength, stretching his stomach, and training his mindset in ways that you’d usually associate with marathon runners or top-notch boxers.

Every July 4, fans look forward to his incredible determination and amazing accomplishments: 75 dogs in 10 minutes back in 2020, and an impressive 76 in 2021. But underneath all the championships and high-stakes drama, there’s a toll that Chestnut has called brutal—not just emotionally draining, but also physically tough.

“Most people relate to feeling really bloated and tired after Thanksgiving,” Joey Chestnut once told Business Insider. “It’s kind of like that, except really, really bad.” After the contest, Chestnut spends a few days recovering and making frequent trips to the bathroom. So, this all comes after he puts away more than 70 hot dogs in just a few minutes—it’s quite the stomach workout that really stretches things out and messes with how digestion usually works.

The science behind these records shows why Chestnut’s body experiences such extremes. A study in The Journal of Roentgenology looked into competitive eaters and found that during contests, their stomachs can stretch to hold a huge amount of food.

Interestingly, the stomach also temporarily stops contracting, which is an important part of normal digestion. On the flip side, eating processed meat in these amounts raises some health worries. We’re talking about high levels of salt, fat, and preservatives like nitrates, which have been connected to cancer risks over time, according to some reports.

Despite this, Chestnut’s passion and his intense competitive nature keep him going. So, how’s he doing, and what’s the vibe like with the crowd out there about his comeback?

Joey Chestnut is excited to get back into action

After all the buzz, Joey Chestnut is making his comeback to the Nathan’s contest this Fourth of July! So, Chestnut joined forces with Impossible Foods, and Major League Eating started to see them as competition for Nathan’s famous hot dog brand. He was pretty clear that he never backed Impossible’s hot dogs and that Nathan’s was his only hot dog sponsor, but it turns out the discussions with the contest organizers didn’t pan out.

So, after a few weeks of low-key talks, he and Major League Eating have finally worked everything out. The professional eater jumped on X to say, “I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Even George Shea, the chairman of Major League Eating, joined in on the excitement, saying, “I think it’s the return of the greatest competitive eater of all time to the biggest competitive eating event of all time. So I don’t think it gets much bigger in any sport. I mean, this guy is the greatest performer we’ve ever seen in Coney Island and in competitive eating.” People are really buzzing about the competitive eater, and as the event gets closer, the excitement just keeps building.