How Many Calories Does Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion Joey Chestnut Consume?

Another Fourth of July means another round of competitive hot dog eating — and lots of calories consumed.

Every year, participants prepare to put away an astonishing number of hot dogs at Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.

Last year, Joey Chestnut claimed his 15th victory by devouring 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. In 2021, he gained the title of hot dog eating world champion after setting a record of 76 hot dogs and buns. 

The women's record is 48.5 hot dogs and buns, held by eight-time champ Miki Sudo.

Here's the nutrition breakdown from last year's weiner winner.

How many calories does Joey Chestnut consume?

According to the nutrition facts of Nathan's products, a serving size of one beef frank contains 170 calories and one of Nathan's restaurant style buns contains 130 calories.

That means for the 63 hot dogs and buns Chestnut gobbled down last year, the calories of the franks equaled 10,710 and the buns added another 8,190 calories — for a grand total of 18,900 calories consumed. That's nearly six times the recommended daily average for a man his age and size.

For his record-setting year with 76 hot dogs and buns, his total reached a whopping 22,800 calories!

Nathan's beef franks also include 16 grams of total fat and 640 milligrams of sodium per dog — so one hot dog accounts for about 25% and 27% of your daily recommended values. 

With 63 franks consumed last year, Chestnut's total fat and sodium equalled 1,008 grams and 40,320 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.

How do competitive eaters consume so much?

A normal eater has a stomach that feels full after consuming about a liter or a liter and a half's worth of food, whereas competitive eaters learn to stretch and relax their stomachs to fit in more.

They do this by eating large amounts of low-calorie foods and liquids including water, diet soda, watermelon and cabbage.

The stretching does go on indefinitely, however. As with any competition, there will be losers, and all competitive eaters will eventually reach their limit — and they might not feel too good afterwards.

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. 

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 safety standards. Those safety guidelines include having an emergency medical technician present at the event.

"Do not try speed eating [at] home," the group warns.

Amy Kraft contributed reporting.