The current record is 76 hot dogs (and buns) in 10 minutes. Dolly Faibyshev for The New York Times

How competitive eaters down dozens of hot dogs

Today, titans of competitive eating will take part in the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, an Independence Day tradition in the U.S.

Most of these would-be champions aren’t professionals, but passionate amateurs. Some have stretched their stomachs with vast quantities of food or liquid. They might use the Solomon Method — think King Solomon — which calls for snapping a dog in half before eating it. It may just come down to willpower: The body doesn’t want to eat 72 hot dogs, but victory beckons.