Grubtrotters

The Los Angeles Times explores speed eating in this odd Health section piece titled “Competitive Eating: Are winners born or made?” I’m not sure which I find more surprising, the fact that someone has done a scientific study of competitive eater Tim Janus:

In a study of competitive eating published last year in the American Journal of Roentgenology, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine compared Major League eater Tim Janus (Eater X) with another male who was a hearty eater. They were both told to eat as many hot dogs as they could in 12 minutes. Before the test, they were given a dose of high-density barium, and the researchers used fluoroscopy to observe their stomachs.

The amateur ran out of room before he ran out of time. After hot dog No. 7, he said that even one more bite might make him sick. At that point, fluoroscopy showed minimal stomach expansion. Janus was going strong, and not feeling full or uncomfortable, after 10 minutes and 36 hot dogs. At that point, the researchers stopped the test because fluoroscopy showed his stomach had assumed such proportions they feared it might be dangerous.

…or the revelation that competitors use yoga to stretch their stomachs:

Conti trains too — and this year, he says, he and Janus have both hired a yoga instructor to teach poses and stretches for the stomach to help them achieve at the table. These include Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist) and Nauli Kriya (churning of abdomen)…

Indeed, Conti hopes his yoga lessons won’t just make his stomach more flexible but will also make his mind more relaxed.

As a yoga teacher in training and a big eater, I’m wondering: Could this be a new niche to explore? — Jenny