# Defecation after Competitive Eating **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666 "2007-07-05T23:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/1 "2007-07-05T23:04:59Z")
1. When one eats an inordinate amount of food in a short time–say, 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes–does one defecate a greater percentage than normal, a lower percentage, or about the same? “Normal”, in this context, being normal eating, as in spreading the hot dogs over several weeks. 2. Unless the answer to (1) is “a **much** lower percentage”, there will still be an enormous _volume_ of defecation. Is it likely to come out in one giant dump, or be spread out over many hours, days, or even weeks? 3. Are there risks of complications, such as diarrhea, constipation, rupturing of the bowel, or feces backing up into the small intestine or stomach where it doesn’t belong? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/2 "2007-07-05T23:23:23Z")
If you’re holding food in your body for weeks, regardless of quantity, you’re in deep doo-doo. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/3 "2007-07-06T00:45:15Z")
Interesting questions. I can’t answer them, but I would guess that laxatives and/or vomiting are alternative options to letting nature take its course. Incidentally, where kittens are concerned, defecation is stimulated not by a laxative but by the mother licking the anogenital region. I guess this method of encouragement is probably impractical for most competitive eaters. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/4 "2007-07-06T00:57:13Z")
Apparently, it’s an “open secret” in competitive eating circles that after a big match, many of the participants will make their way back stage and either voluntarily or **in** voluntarily begin to blow chunks. So long as they can do it _after_ they get off stage, they’re not disqualified, but those who’ve had their stomachs rebell while they’re still on stage are. (Source for this is an NPR story that aired earlier this year.) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/5 "2007-07-06T01:04:46Z")
Missed the edit window, dang it! I’m curious, though, how the stomach stretching they do, doesn’t lead to obesity. After all, it tends to be the _skinnier_ folks who win. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Betty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Guy\_Betty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Betty)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/6 "2007-07-06T01:48:19Z")
Apt username. [/carry on] ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/7 "2007-07-06T02:17:46Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Incidentally, where kittens are concerned, defecation is stimulated not by a laxative but by the mother licking the anogenital region. [/QUOTE] Pics? ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/8 "2007-07-06T02:26:29Z")
I once went to a restaurant called The Big Texan where they offered a 72 ounce steak – eat it (and some side dishes), and it’s free. Don’t finish it in one one-hour sitting, however, and you must pay for it. I got to 63 ounces eaten before I was unable to go on, and immediately went to the restroom to get that freaking meat the hell out of my body. It’s pure conjecture, but I imagine competitive eaters might feel the same way after eating that much. Having that much food stuffed in your stomach is an incredibly unpleasant feeling, and I for one didn’t care how it got out, so long as it got out _now._ YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/9 "2007-07-06T02:30:42Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Incidentally, where kittens are concerned, defecation is stimulated not by a laxative but by the mother licking the anogenital region. I guess this method of encouragement is probably impractical for most competitive eaters. [/QUOTE] You mean your mom never did that for you? Weirdo. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/10 "2007-07-06T03:01:14Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Apparently, it’s an “open secret” in competitive eating circles that after a big match, many of the participants will make their way back stage and either voluntarily or **in** voluntarily begin to blow chunks. [/QUOTE] No! No! You don’t understand! _Chunks is their dog mascot!_😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/11 "2007-07-06T12:32:24Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Missed the edit window, dang it! I’m curious, though, how the stomach stretching they do, doesn’t lead to obesity. After all, it tends to be the _skinnier_ folks who win. [/QUOTE] They stretch their stomachs out by eating meals with _large_ volumes of low or non-calorie liquid, a gallon or more in a sitting. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/12 "2007-07-06T16:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] They stretch their stomachs out by eating meals with _large_ volumes of low or non-calorie liquid, a gallon or more in a sitting. [/QUOTE] Yes, I know, but the stomach doesn’t automatically shrink back the moment the competition’s over (if it did, no one would ever need gastric bypass). It takes some time for the shrinking to occur, during which, the ol’ gullet’s gonna be rumbling, and human nature is to stuff it full of food at those times. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/13 "2007-07-06T16:54:01Z")
The Japanese guy who just barely lost by barfing was a six-time winner. My question is what long-term medical problems will result from this weird type of gorging. Can’t be good, can it? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defecation-after-competitive-eating/410666/14 "2007-07-06T19:26:12Z")
[QUOTE=Operation Ripper] > [@Chez Guevara](#): > > Incidentally, where kittens are concerned, defecation is stimulated not by a laxative but by the mother licking the anogenital region. Pics? [/QUOTE] Kitty porn is not allowed on this board 😃