If you ever run into a guy called Joey Chestnut, be sure to congratulate him on his hot-dog eating prowess.

Yesterday, while Americans celebrated the Fourth of July – or Malia Obama Day – Joey, 33, competed in Nathan’s annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York.

Nicknamed “Jaws”, Joey continued his reign as the chowing champion, beating his own record by munching down 72 frankfurters and buns in 10 minutes.

It was the 10th time he has won the competition.

After his victory, Joey said:

There’s no secret, I love to eat, and I love doing it, I love to win, so I had to figure out my body and push it to the limit.

Watch the champion in action:

Talk about inhaling your food.

Joey was unseated last year when Matt Stonie ate 62 hot dogs and buns, but he came back with a vengeance this time around.

So, how many calories would these contestants consume during such a competition? Business Insider worked it out using 69 hot dogs as the barometer, and this is what they found:

In normal speak, that’s about 10 days worth of “nutrition” in 10 minutes.

On the bright side, the contestants won’t eat any trans fats. On the other hand, someone who eats 69 HDB will consume nearly 19,000 calories, 2.2 pounds of fat, 276 grams of sugar, and 43 grams of sodium…

The hot dog eaters will also put away 690 grams of protein and 700% of their daily recommended calcium intake — though those are small consolations given the inevitable acid reflux.

What a champion.

[source:businessinsider&theguardian]