TYPE A vs. TYPE A

Roughly two years ago, MLE health correspondent Alexis Schneider published the column that appears below. Since it's posting, MLE has learned that Joey Chestnut is also type A.

Role of Blood Type in Competitive Eating (from www.competitiveeating.net)

The International Federation of Competitive Eating has launched a research initiative to determine if blood type plays a role in an individual’s success as a competitive eater. The suggestion of this investigation comes on the heels of the discovery that the great Takeru Kobayashi of Japan has type-A blood.

In Japenese culture, many believe that blood-type determines one's personality, just as many Americans believe zodiac signs play a role in a person's nature. Is it true that people with type-A blood have the propensity to eat more than people with type B, AB and O?

The answer is unclear, however, there are doctors who maintain that blood type dictates the type of food a person should eat. These very doctors say that people with type A blood benefit from a vegetarian diet and should eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Oddly, this high carb, low fat premise is anathema to Kobayashi’s dominance in the hot dog and tailgater disciplines. What’s more, these doctors state that type O people are meat eaters and high protein foods should dominate their diet. An analysis of the teeth of Jim Mullen (Nathan's Champ 1916) showed that indeed he was type O.

Other medical experts believe that hemoglobin also plays a factor in competive eating skills. The average vertebrate has 6% heme and 94% globin. What is Kobayashi’s ratio? Stay tuned for updates.