Food & Drink

The secret technique that lets Joey Chestnut eat over 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes revealed: “It’s actually science”

Here’s how Joey Chestnut explains his ‘talent’ for smashing so many hot dogs in such little time.

David Dee Delgado

Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.

Update: Jul 6th, 2025 18:16 EDT

It turns out that ‘eating them really quickly’ is too simplified an explanation when it comes to munching over 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Apparently there’s real science behind it. It’s not complicated enough to fly a rocket, but there definitely appears to be some thought behind Joey Chestnut and his 17 Mustard Yellow Belt wins.

This year, the Indiana native ate 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes to reclaim his title. “Lots of people told me I was part of their Fourth of July and they missed me,” he told an ESPN reporter after the win. “I guaranteed I’d try hard and I didn’t want to let people down.”

‘It’s actually a science’ says co-founder

Major League Eating co-founder George Shea spoke to CNN‘s Harry Enten and he explained the perfect physical conditions needed for a pro-hot fog eater.

“If I were picking the best physique for a competitive eater, I would say 6ft2, big shoulders, big frame, but not tight abs. You don’t want to be ripped, you want expansion.”

He also revealed just what makes Chestnut so successful. “It’s actually a science,” Shea explains, “Joey is the best at it. He crunches it up in a ball, after he’s dunked it, and just drops it down his gullet... Joey is a big guy, he has an advantage, he’s done this for so long.”

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Chestnut has won 17 of 20 attempts at the title, with his record coming in 2021 as he saw off 76 wieners and buns in the allotted time frame. Rather hilariously, Chestnut was banned from the 2024 edition of the games after he signed a deal with plant-based company Impossible Foods last year. This year, he came back with a vengeance.

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