It's official, kids! A life of sex, drugs and rock n roll is better for you than playing sport. As long as you play drums, anyway. An eight year study of Blondie drummer Clem Burke, carried out by Dr Marcus Smith at Chichester University, has revealed that drummers require a level of stamina similar and even greater than professional athletes.
Burke was connected to equipment that measured his heart rate, oxygen uptake and levels of lactic acid in his blood. It was found that, during a live performance, his heart rate averaged between 140 and 150 beats per minute, and could be raised as high as 190. In an hour, a drummer could burn between 400 and 600 calories. It is hoped that this might help to develop exercise programmes for overweight children not interested in sport.
Dr Smith said: "Footballers can normally expect to play 40 to 50 games a year - but in one 12 month period, Clem played 90-minute sets at 100 concerts. Footballers find playing a Champions League game once every two weeks a drain, but these guys are doing it every day when they are on tour. It is clear that their fitness levels need to be outstanding - through monitoring Clem's performance in controlled conditions, we have been able to map the extraordinary stamina required by professional drummers".