Power-Puking and Projectile Barfing: Case Study and Analysis!

This is icky but not horrible: A powerlifter named Logan Lacy tried to squat over 1,000 pounds at a competition in Chicago. That’s a lot of weight. If you watch the video, Lacy brings the weight down, but pushes too hard trying to lift it. And Lacy then power-barfs onto the judge...who’s about 12 feet in front of him!

Lacy passed out briefly after this, but he was okay. And the lifter was a good sport about it, later writing: “I am glad that even on a bad day I can put on a show. Unfortunately, [the judge] was unable to get out of the way so his leg did receive a good amount of the projectile vomit.” AND he apologized. So even if Lacy is overdoing it in the weightroom, he IS a class act! (Click on "Read more" for an explanation of this projectile barfing!)
But how did Lacy's barf travel so far? While regular barfing involves the stomach contracting and forcing up its contents, projectile barfing is when this process happens at light speed. Additionally, a projectile vomiter’s throat closes more than is normally the case, which restricts the flow of the puke. (Sort of like what happens when you put a nozzle on a hose!)

Projectile barfing is the human equivalent of shaking a can of soda. When the tab is pulled, the contents just go flying! And so with projectile vomiting, a person won’t throw up at their feet. They’ll throw up through a window on the other side of the weightroom!