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Date published: 11/22/2009
By SAM McMANIS McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Rock drummers, some claim, are finely tuned athletes who are as fit as any long-distance runner. But to get your head around that idea, you have to put aside all sorts of assumptions and stereotypes. Forget '70s icons John Bonham of Led Zeppelin and the Who's Keith Moon, whose extended drum solos were seemingly fueled not by a well-developed cardiovascular system so much as by pharmaceuticals. Consider instead: A recent study by two British sports scientists measured the heart rate, oxygen consumption, lactic acid buildup and peak endurance of Blondie drummer Clem Burke over a 10-year period ending in 2007 to find out just how much energy he used in a gig. The researchers--from the University of Chichester and the University of Gloucestershire--found that Burke's exertion rate during a 11/2-hour concert equaled that of a 10K runner or a professional soccer player. His heart rate averaged 140 to 150 beats a minute, reaching as high as 190 beats. He burned an average of 600 calories per performance and averaged about two quarts in lost fluids. In short, banging on the skins is quite a workout. "Through monitoring Clem's performance in controlled conditions, we have been able to map the extraordinary stamina required by professional drummers," Dr. Marcus Smith recently told the London Guardian. "We can now use this data to benefit others." 'I HAD TO START RUNNING' The researchers hope that children who aren't interested in traditional sports might take up drumming as a way to shape up. Drumming as fitness is not news to drummers, who have long felt their physical prowess is undervalued. Drumming builds strength and cardiovascular fitness, says Mike Johnston, owner of the Drum Lab, an instructional business. In the 1990s, Johnston was the drummer for the successful punk band Simon Says. He says serious drummers--those touring and doing shows every night--need to cross-train to keep fit. "It was like doing 45 minutes of hard cycling," Johnston said of his days on tour. "I was hitting so hard straight through the night that I had to start running every day and do other training to stay in shape. I also had to do a good 10- to 15-minute warm-up before I played so that my heart was ready to go."
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