From a study titled “Modelling the maximal active consumption rate and its plasticity in humans—perspectives from hot dog eating competitions,” which was published last summer in Royal Society Biology Letters.

The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is held every Fourth of July in New York City and features participants attempting to consume as many hot dogs in buns as possible within ten to twelve minutes.

Rapidly consuming large quantities of food can be ecologically beneficial. Carnivores that kill prey exceeding their individual gut capacity may share meat and need to hunt less frequently. The capacity to achieve a…