How to Survive When Competitive Eating

Competitive eating is not a sport for the faint of heart. It is physically taxing yes, but also requires great mental focus, strategy and dexterity. Most contests are sprints, in the 10-12 minute time frame. Stuffing your face, actually swallowing, keeping it down and not having large amounts of debris about your plate are all what make competitive eating an exciting sport. There is a lot of intensity for both the contestants and the crowd.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Focus your mind. This ability is a common attribute among the champions in competitive eating. You need to be completely in the moment and aware that you are asking your body to do something unusual in a very short amount of time.
2. Learn to suppress the gag reflex as you fill up. Your body will want you to quit and you will have to learn to overcome the body's natural signals.
3. Plan your strategy before the event. Know what bite sizes you can handle and how much soaking or smashing a food item might need before stuffing.
4. Burp to make more room, but be careful. You only want the air to come out, not the subject of the race.
5. Exercise regularly in between events. Taking in a large number of calories quickly does not change the fact that you have to burn more or an equal amount to what you consume. The most successful competitive eaters are not always the large ones. Some theorize that the more fat you have in the middle, the harder it is to put away large amounts of food in a short amount of time.
6. Limit the number of events for time to recover. Space out your participation in the events to allow the excess food to be completely clear out. The salt alone in some of the food categories begs for much water and detoxification.
7. Explore different food type competitions as you build your stamina in the sport. This will give you a better idea of your capabilities and what makes sense for you to focus on.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not train at home. Sanctioned events with medical personnel on hand are the only way to go.