Another Fourth of July means another round of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest — and lots of calories consumed.
Patrick Bertoletti took home the winning title Thursday by consuming 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at the event on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. In the women’s category, Miki Sudo won her 10th title, downing 51 hot dogs and buns.
Last year, Joey Chestnut capped off his longtime winning streak by consuming 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. This year, Chestnut was banned from the contest due to his partnership with Impossible Foods, a rival company that makes plant-based hot dogs.
Here’s the nutrition breakdown from the latest weiner-eating winners.
According to the nutrition facts of Nathan’s products, a serving size of one Original Coney Island natural casing beef frank contains 170 calories (according to the company’s website; other varieties vary) and one of Nathan’s restaurant-style buns contains 130 calories.
That means for the 58 hot dogs and buns gobbled down by Bertoletti this year, the calories of the franks would have equaled 9,860 and the buns added another 7,540 calories — for a grand total of 17,400 calories consumed.
Sudo’s 51 hot dogs and buns totaled 15,300 calories.
Last year, Chestnut’s win equaled 10,540 for the franks and 8,060 calories for the buns — for a grand total of 18,600 calories consumed. For his record-setting year in 2021 — 76 hot dogs and buns consumed — his total would have reached a whopping 22,800 calories!
Nathan’s natural casing beef franks also include 16 grams of total fat and 480 milligrams of sodium per dog — so one hot dog accounts for about 21% of your daily recommended values for each.
With 58 franks eaten this year, Bertoletti’s total fat and sodium intake equaled 928 grams and 27,840 milligrams, respectively.
Diets higher in sodium are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, a major cause of stroke and heart disease.
The side effects of such enormous binges vary based on the individual and the food being eaten, but as CBS News has previously reported, side effects of competitive eating can include nausea, painful gas, vomiting, heartburn and diarrhea. More serious side effects could include choking, esophageal inflammation and potentially even stomach rupture.
In a statement to CBS News last year, Major League Eating, the world body that oversees professional eating contests — including Nathan’s Famous Hot Dot Eating Contest — says all of its events adhere to “strict safety protocols,” including having an emergency medical technician present at events and ensuring participants are 18 years of age or older.
“Do not try speed eating (at) home,” the group warns on its website.