
Once again the top dogs saw off the underdogs at this year's edition of the Nathan's Famous July fourth hot dog eating contest in New York.

In the early afternoon, Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut, 33, successfully took home his tenth victory at the event, held near the original Nathan's Famous store in Coney Island, Brooklyn, by devouring 72 hot dogs in just ten minutes.

Earlier, in the morning, the women's competition saw Las Vegas' Miki Sudo, 31, retaining her belt for another year, beating 17 others by chowing down a personal best of 41 hot dogs.

Scroll down for video

Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut (pictured) triumphed in the men's competition at the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on Tuesday, taking home the prized belt for the tenth time in 11 years

Chestnut fended off Matt Stonie (pictured in black headband), who ate into his spree in 2015, to take home the prize once more. If he can retain the belt by 2019, he will have broken records at the competition, which has run since 1916

Chestnut wets the buns to make them go down easier, and managed to eat 11 buns and dogs in his first minute. In total he has consumed 709 hot dogs and buns since he first took the top prize in 2007

Miki Sudo is declared the female winner of the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on Tuesday. The annual 'dog-munching competition has been running annually since 1916

Sudo (pictured) beat challenger Michelle Lesco of Tuscon, Arizona, chowing down a personal best of 41 hot dogs in ten minutes. It is her fourth Nathan's Famous win in a row

There were 13 other competitors at the women's event - although some of them seemed to have a tougher time of it than Sudo and Thomas

Crowds wore Nathan's Famous hot dog hats and held up messages - including this cheeky 'Grab 'em by the wiener' sign - to show their enthusiasm for the bun-chomping fest

As well as the competition, the event is accompanied by performers, gymnasts, DJs and musicians

Chestnut faced off fellow San Diegan Matt 'The Megatoad' Stonie, 25, in a rematch, along with 14 other competitors at the Independence Day tradition, which has been held since 1916.

Stonie had eaten into Chestnut's otherwise unbroken run - which began in 2007 - by beating him in 2015, but Chestnut won the title back in 2016.

JOEY CHESTNUT: A HISTORY IN DOGS Joey Chestnut has taken the Nathan's Famous belt for the tenth time in 11 competitions since 2007, during which he's consumed 709 dogs and buns. 2007 Winner: 66 hot dogs 2008 Winner: 59 hot dogs 2009 Winner: 68 hot dogs 2010 Winner: 54 hot dogs 2011 Winner: 62 hot dogs 2012 Winner: 68 hot dogs 2013 Winner: 69 hot dogs 2014 Winner: 61 hot dogs 2015 Lost 60-62 to Matt Stonie 2016 Winner: 70 hot dogs 2017 Winner: 72 hot dogs Advertisement

On Tuesday Chestnut shoveled the dogs and their buns - lubricated by water - into his mouth one after the other, clocking 11 dogs in the first minute.

Stonie, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling, and appeared to be stalling at the midpoint.

But eventually Chestnut was victorious, later telling ESPN he was 'not a buffet buster' but someone who trains and fasts in preparation.

'I make my body work for me and I've been really lucky with how it's performed,' he said.

Last year the champ downed 70 franks and buns, topping his own Coney Island record - which he then beat again this year by a further two dogs.

Chestnut holds 44 world records, including eating 73-and-a half hot dogs in 2016 during a competitive eating qualifier.

If he can retain the title into 2019 he will had held the trophy for longer than anyone in the competition's history.

Prior to their match, Stonie called Chestnut 'a monster,' but said he would 'have fun' at the competition.

Chestnut claimed before the men's competition began that he believed he could consume as many as 90 hot dogs if the time limit were not a factor.

Among the other male competitors was 73-year-old Rich 'The Locust' Lefevere, the spam-eating champion of the world, and Carmen Cincotti, 23, who said he hoped to defeat Chestnut before the champ's eventual retirement.

HOW TO CHOMP LIKE A CHAMP THE CHESTNUT WAY Ten-time Nathan's Famous hot dog competition winner Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut works hard for his victories. 'I put about two months into it; my first hot dog practice run was May 1,' he told told MLB Central on Friday. 'I simulate the contests, I eat for ten minutes hot dogs, very similar to contest conditions.' He also drinks lukewarm water mid-game to relax his muscles, and fasts for days before competitions. 'I slowly eat less and less and I'll make sure I’m absolutely empty the day of,' he said. '[Friday] I'll have a pretty big salad, and then [Saturday] will be less. And then Sunday and Monday, almost nothing.' Of course, a straight-up fast would see his stomach shrinking, so he fills up with liquids - big time. He'll drink three quarters of a gallon of water and at least half a gallon of milk to ensure his belly remains competition-ready, he told Cleveland.com. For other food types, Chestnut said he likes to get in 'at least two practices. First a practice, then I'll fast for two days, then do a practice and then recover and try to eat normal the next day. 'Every time I do a practice I push it a little farther, making my body adapt and getting stronger. After two or three practices I should be ready.' He added that he 'absolutely' has hot dogs in his downtime too. 'I love to eat,' he said. 'If I'm at a baseball game it's hard to hold back.' Chestnut also travels the world for competitions, and said his least pleasant experience was downing kimchi in South Korea. But he told USA Today that the one contest he'll never take part in is eating raw oysters - he can't stand them. Advertisement

Animal rights activists were hauled away from the Nathan's Famous competition by police on Tuesday as they attempted to disrupt the competition

The activists were brought in as they shouted at the crowd. It's not clear which group they represented, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have denied involvement

A cop detains a protester at the event. Some of them had tried to unfurl a banner, but were stopped. Last year members of Direct Action Everywhere sprayed contestants with ketchup and snatched a sausage from contestant 'Crazy Legs' Conti

This year's event was mildly marred when five animal rights protesters were taken into custody for trying disrupt the event.

About midway through the men's competition, some people amid the crowd of spectators were spotted trying to unfold a black banner.

Police stationed there rushed into the crowd, handcuffed the demonstrators and took them away. It was unclear what was on the banner.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had members giving away free vegan hot dogs outside the event, but a spokeswoman said the people arrested inside weren't with the group.

Last year grassroots animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere, raided the stage at the contest, sprayed the eaters with ketchup and snatched a sausage from contestant 'Crazy Legs' Conti.

Sudo and competitor Michele Lesco hug after the competition

Sonya Thomas (right) had been victorious at the competition from 2011-2013 before falling to Sudo (left) in 2014; she hasn't managed to reclaim the title yet

Hundreds of hot dogs were prepared for the event, which is attended by thousands and watched by many more on ESPN

The crowd get hyped up ahead of the famous competition, which puts 'fast' in fast food

Earlier in the day, Miki Sudo took her fourth title in a row when she beat Sonya Thomas, known as 'The Black Widow,' in the women's competition, eating 41 hot dogs

However, there was some drama when the figure was miscounted as 36.

Sudo said she knew that the count was off because she eats the buns and hot dogs separately, leading to an initially unclear cleaned plate count.

She also told ESPN that she practices with Thomas and that her pal has been getting better and better with each session.

'Maybe next year she'll get me,' she added, 'but I knew this wasn't her year yet,' she said.

However, Thomas - who won in 2011, 2012 and 2013 before falling to Sudo in 2014 - still holds the women's record, having downed 45 franks in 2013.

The chowdown showdown usually draws thousands of spectators and is televised on ESPN.

Spectators attempt their own records - though matching Sudo's 41 buns is unlikely

Sudo and Thomas are seen here during the weigh-in for the contest, in Brooklyn Borough Hall, in New York on Monday. Suto weighed-in at 126 pounds, while Ms. Lesco tipped the scales at 104.5 pounds

Chestnut holds up his belt at his weigh-in. As well as being the Nathan's Famous champ, Chestnut is the world record holder

Reigning women's champion Miki Sudo, of Las Vegas, holds her championship belt during the weigh-in on Monday; she clocked in at 126 pounds

George Shea, master of ceremonies for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, gives a sample of his introductions for the event, during the weigh-in

Competitive eating does come with some potential dangers, according to 'Competitive Speed Eating: Truth and Consequences,' a 2007 study entitled and published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

'We speculate that professional speed eaters eventually may develop morbid obesity, profound gastroparesis, intractable nausea and vomiting and even the need for a gastrectomy,' it said.

'Despite its growing popularity, competitive speed eating is a potentially self-destructive form of behavior.'

Training can potentially result in gastric ruptures and sodium levels dropping to dangerous lows, USA Today reported in 2015.

Kim Dennis, an eating disorder expert from Chicago. told USA Today that 'Putting all of the health risks aside, there are certainly some psychological or psychiatric risks with regards to development of an eating disorder for people who had any sort of genetic predisposition to have one.

'Somebody eating 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes is self-abuse to some extent.'

Chestnut poses with a stack of 'dogs. Hundreds are produced for the event