Competitive Eaters: Laxatives Or Not?

Competitive eating is a sport that involves eating large quantities of food in a short period. It is no surprise that people are curious about what happens after these competitions. While there is no definitive answer to whether competitive eaters take laxatives, some participants have shared that their toilet bowls are always full, and some admit to inducing vomiting. However, none directly confess to regularly using laxatives. There is speculation that some competitive eaters may use laxatives to avoid discomfort and health risks associated with the sport, such as gastric ruptures, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhoea. It is important to note that the type of food and eating habits can also affect bowel movements, and some competitors may not have issues due to their bodies being accustomed to the practice.

Purging after competitions

While Major League Eating, the group that governs competitive eating events, disqualifies competitors who vomit during a competition, there is no such rule for after a competition. This is especially true for independent competitors who are not subject to regulation and can edit their videos however they please.

Competitive eaters may choose to induce vomiting or use laxatives to avoid the discomfort and health risks associated with consuming large quantities of food, such as gastric ruptures, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhoea. Purging can also help competitors manage their weight and avoid weight gain, which is a common concern among competitive eaters.

Some former competitive eaters have openly spoken about the practice of purging after competitions, comparing it to bulimia or "controlled bulimia". Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, a former professional competitive eater, admitted to drinking a bottle of Citroma (liquid magnesium) after particularly challenging competitions to induce bowel movements. He claimed that this practice made him "feel better", although it is important to note that abusing laxatives can lead to serious health complications, including an increased risk of colon cancer or a "cathartic colon", which could require a colostomy.

While competitive eaters may not openly discuss their bathroom habits or the use of laxatives, it is believed that purging after competitions is relatively common. This practice can be seen as a form of disordered eating or a performance-enhancing technique, similar to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in other sports. However, due to the taboo nature of the topic and the potential negative impact on their careers, competitive eaters may be reluctant to speak openly about their purging habits.

It is important to remember that purging carries significant health risks, and competitive eaters who engage in this practice may be at risk of serious health complications, including dehydration, intestinal issues, and cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Laxative abuse

The chronic use of laxatives can cause severe dehydration, a reduction in electrolytes, and a disturbance in the balance of essential minerals like magnesium, sodium, potassium, and phosphates. This can lead to impaired function of vital organs and even irreversible damage. Other potential side effects of laxative abuse include muscle spasms and cramps, urinary tract infections, intestinal paralysis, and an increased risk of colon cancer.

Individuals who abuse laxatives can generally be categorized into four groups. The first and largest group consists of individuals with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa, with a reported prevalence of laxative abuse ranging from 10% to 60% in this group. The second group includes middle-aged or older individuals who start using laxatives for constipation but continue to overuse them, often due to the belief that daily bowel movements are necessary for good health. The third group comprises athletes engaged in sports with set weight limits, and the fourth group includes those who use laxatives to induce factitious diarrhoea, possibly due to a factitious disorder.

Regarding competitive eaters specifically, there is no definitive answer as to whether they take laxatives. However, some participants have shared that their toilet bowls are always full, and some admit to inducing vomiting after competitions. It is believed that some competitive eaters may use laxatives to avoid the discomfort and health risks associated with consuming large amounts of food, such as gastric ruptures, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhoea.

Binge-eating behaviours

Binge eating is a key part of competitive eating, with competitors consuming vast quantities of food in a short space of time. For example, Erik Lamkin, a professional competitive eater, consumed 100,000 calories in a single sitting during his "100,000 Calorie Challenge". This involved eating a range of processed, high-fat, high-sugar foods, including Snickers bars, cheesecake, chocolate bars, cookie dough, Nutella, and Oreos.

Competitive eaters engage in behaviours that enable them to eat large amounts of food during competitions. Some competitors starve themselves before an event, while others induce vomiting afterward. Many train their stomachs to expand by consuming large, low-calorie meals and liquids such as salads, fruits, protein foods, water, diet soda, and cabbage. This practice of controlled eating allows them to eat a lot during competitions but maintain a thin physique.

Competitive eaters also engage in physical exercises, such as cardio and weightlifting, to burn off the excess calories and maintain their weight. They may also fast before and after competitions. This combination of binging and restrictive behaviours mirrors binge-eating disorder, a type of eating disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short time, often in response to negative emotions, and a sense of loss of control.

While competitive eaters do not typically discuss their bathroom habits, it is believed that some may use laxatives to aid digestion and avoid discomfort after competitions. Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, a former professional competitive eater, admitted to drinking a bottle of Citroma (liquid magnesium) after particularly challenging competitions, which would leave him with "nothing inside of [him]" a few hours later. This practice is not without risks, as laxative abuse can lead to health complications such as an increased risk of colon cancer or a "cathartic colon," which could require a colostomy.

The competitive eating community is reluctant to discuss disordered eating patterns, as it may reflect poorly on the sport and the individuals involved. However, medical professionals have characterised the sport as a form of culturally sanctioned disordered eating. Dr Steven Crawford, the co-director of the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, notes that the training and practices involved in competitive eating mirror binge-eating behaviours.

Health complications

Although it is unclear whether or not competitive eaters take laxatives, the practice of purging is common among competitive eaters. Purging is associated with a range of health complications, including dehydration, intestinal issues, and cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Abusing laxatives can also result in a host of health issues. Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, a former competitive eater, has shared that he would drink a bottle of Citroma (liquid magnesium) after competitions. While he claims that he did not do this to lose weight, he admits that it made him "feel better". According to Dr Steven Crawford, the co-director of the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, abusing laxatives can lead to serious health complications, including an increased risk of colon cancer or a "cathartic colon", a condition that could require a colostomy.

Competitive eating has been described as a "culturally sanctioned disordered eating" practice, as it involves training to ignore hunger and satiety cues and consuming large amounts of food in a short period. This behaviour can trigger eating disorders and cause gastric ruptures, low sodium levels, gastrointestinal problems, acid reflux disease, and inflammatory diseases.

In addition, the pressure to maintain a slim physique can lead to unhealthy behaviours such as purging and abusing laxatives. This is especially true for YouTubers, who are not subject to the same regulations as those in the Major League Eating-sanctioned competitions. The male demographic of many of these YouTubers also contributes to the lack of treatment for eating disorders, as men are much less likely to receive help.

Purging as a performance-enhancing drug

Competitive eating is a dangerous sport that can lead to various health issues, such as gastric ruptures, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhoea. To avoid these discomforts and risks, some competitive eaters may induce vomiting or use laxatives after competitions. Purging allows eaters to force the food out of their stomachs and avoid the negative consequences of consuming large quantities of food. This practice is similar to bulimia, an eating disorder characterised by binge eating and purging behaviours.

While purging can provide temporary relief, it comes with its own set of risks. Inducing vomiting or using laxatives can lead to dehydration, intestinal issues, and even cardiac and respiratory arrest. Purging can also be psychologically damaging, as it reinforces disordered eating patterns and a unhealthy relationship with food.

Despite the potential consequences, purging is often seen as a taboo topic within the competitive eating community. Some eaters view it as a necessary part of their sport, similar to a performance-enhancing drug. They may feel that discussing their purging habits would reflect poorly on the sport or make them seem less professional. This reluctance to address the issue openly contributes to a culture of silence and denial surrounding disordered eating patterns in competitive eating.

Additionally, the competitive eating community is largely male, and men are less likely to seek treatment for eating disorders. This further perpetuates the stigma and lack of discussion around purging as a performance-enhancing strategy in competitive eating. However, it is important to recognise that purging is not a harmless or sustainable practice. It can have severe physical and mental health consequences, underscoring the importance of addressing disordered eating patterns in this community.

Competitive eaters who choose to purge may do so for various reasons. For some, it may be a way to manage their weight and maintain a slim physique, which is often expected of professional competitive eaters. Purging allows them to consume large quantities of food during competitions without gaining weight. For others, purging may be a way to cope with the physical discomfort and health risks associated with competitive eating. By forcing the food out of their stomachs, they can find temporary relief from nausea, bloating, and other digestive issues.

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