Summary:

• Drum teachers should teach their students about playing-related injuries.
• Drummers whose teachers didn’t include tips on injury prevention or ergonomics are twice as likely to report a playing-related injury.
• Even with prevention education, drummers may still experience injuries.

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) – also known as repetitive strain or overuse injuries – are injuries that develop over time as a result of playing the drums and are severe enough to affect your ability to play the drums at the level to which you are accustomed¹. These kinds of injuries are very common in drummers², and they can be particularly difficult for drummers to manage because of the risks involved in their career (e.g., precarious employment, pressure to always deliver peak performance, challenges with being able to take time off, etc.³), the high costs associated with these injuries^4,5, and the lack of extended healthcare benefits to help offset the costs². Effective strategies that will help prevent drummers from developing PRMDs in the first place are clearly needed to help reduce the burden of these injuries. 

One strategy could be for drum instructors to teach their students about ergonomics/injury prevention (i.e., Prevention Education, or ‘PrevEd’ for short). In theory, if drum instructors included PrevEd in their teaching, it might encourage their students to engage in risk reduction behaviors (e.g., warming up, cooling down, taking breaks, and exercise), which in turn may reduce their rates of developing PRMDs and/or the severity of their symptoms. There is some research evidence that suggests this might work^6-10, but none of it focused specifically on drummers, and drummers and/or percussionists were either included in very small numbers or not at all.

Luckily, when I designed my original survey study, I had included questions about whether the respondents had been taught anything about how to prevent PRMDs during their formal drum training, and if so, what were they taught. I went back to take another look at the data to see if there were any relationships between reporting PRMDs and receiving PrevEd.

Here’s what I found:

Of the 831 drummers who participated in the study, 81% of them had taken formal lessons (the average reported duration of engaging in these lessons was 7 years). However, only 42% of those who took formal lessons had received PrevEd from their instructors.

Here’s where things got really interesting: drummers who had not received PrevEd were twice as likely to report having experienced a PRMD over the course of their lifetime than those who had, and they were almost twice as likely to report having experienced a PRMD within the seven days prior to completing the survey. They also engaged in warm-ups, cool-downs, and exercise significantly less often.

The association between receiving PrevEd and reduced reporting of PRMDs held even when I divided up the group who had not received PrevEd so that I could look at the effect of formal lessons more closely.

What does it all mean in practice?

So, what does all of this mean in practice? These findings suggest that teaching drum students PrevEd has the potential to be an effective way to reduce drummers’ risk of developing PRMDs. However, formal lessons alone may not be enough to make this happen – drum instructors need to discuss ergonomics and injury prevention specifically with their students if we want to reduce their risk of developing PRMDs. That said, this study also showed that even PrevEd is not a “magic bullet”. The rates of PRMDs were lower in drummers who did vs. did not receive PrevEd, but the rates in both groups were still pretty high overall. Similarly, the rates of engagement in PRMD prevention behaviours were higher in drummers who did vs. did not receive PrevEd, but the rates in both groups were still pretty low overall. This suggests that drummers might not be engaging in these behaviours regularly enough, or that their approaches to these behaviours may not be optimized, to really reap the benefits. For example, stretching will only be marginally helpful if you aren’t doing it often enough, or for the right amount of time, or doing it the right way (e.g., static vs. dynamic stretching) at the right time (before vs. after playing).

Understandably, teaching students about PrevEd and how to optimize their engagement in PRMD prevention behaviors could be a daunting task for drum instructors, especially if they were never taught anything about PrevEd themselves. Given that playing the drums is both an athletic and occupational activity, ergonomists and/or sports medicine professionals (e.g., athletic therapists, certified strength and conditioning coaches, etc.) would be great resources for drum instructors to consult to help them develop and/or optimize their PrevEd curricula. These professionals are also ideally suited to help drummers resolve existing PRMDs and reduce the chances that they will flare up again in the future. You can also refer to this article about how to recognize and manage the two most common PRMDs (tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome).

Top takeaways:

• Simply taking formal drum lessons might not be enough to reduce the risk of developing PRMDs. Specifically teaching drummers about ergonomics/injury prevention within formal drum lessons is needed to have the greatest effect.
• PrevEd is not a magic bullet.
• Drum instructors wishing to develop or enhance their PrevEd curricula can consult with ergonomists and/or sports medicine professionals.

*Neither Drumeo nor Dr. Azar can provide medical advice. Please go see a medical professional if you’re concerned about something! The content of this article is meant to provide you with some food for thought and some information to help you ask the right questions of your medical team.

References:

1. Zaza, C., Charles, C., & Muszynski, A. (1998). The meaning of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders to classical musicians. Social Science & Medicine, 47 (12): 2013-2023.
2. Azar, N.R. (2020). Rates and patterns of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in drummers. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 35 (3): 153-161. https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2020.3020
3. Sandell, C., Frykman, M., Chesky, K., & Fjellman-Wiklund, A. (2009). Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders and stress-related health problems among percussionists. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 24 (4): 175–180. 
4. National Safety Council. National Safety Council Injury Facts: The complete reference source for safety statistics [Internet]. Itasca (USA): National Safety Council; 2020. Work Injury Costs; 2020. Available from: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs/. Last accessed 25 Jan 2021. 
5. Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Fact sheet – high-impact claims [Internet]. July 2011. Available from: http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/repository/mon/26005/317860.pdf. Last accessed 24 April 2019.  
6. Zander, M.F., Voltmer, E., & Spahn, C. (2010) Health promotion and prevention in higher music education. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 25 (2): 54-65. 
7. López, T. M., & Martínez, J. F. (2013). Strategies to promote health and prevent musculoskeletal injuries in students from the High Conservatory of Music of Salamanca, Spain. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 28 (2): 100–106. https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2013.2018. 
8. Árnason, K., Briem, K., & Árnason, Á. (2018). Effects of an education and prevention course for university music students on their body awareness and attitude toward health and prevention. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 33 (2): 131-136c. https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2018.2021.
9. Matei, R., Broad, S., Goldbart, J., & Ginsborg, J. (2018). Health education for musicians.  Frontiers in Psychology, 9: Article #1137. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01137. 
10. Davies, J. (2020). Alexander Technique classes improve pain and performance factors in tertiary music students. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies, 24 (1): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.04.006.

This article is a summary of the following research article:

Azar NR. Injury prevention education provided during formal drum kit training is associated with lower frequency reporting of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Popular Music Education. 2021; 5(2): 187-210. https://doi.org/10.1386/jpme_00057_1

Over the rest of the summer and fall of 2018, I continued to recruit and collect data on professional drummers for the Drummer Lab energy expenditure study, including Christian Tanna (I Mother Earth) and John Clardy (Tera Melos). Given that I only had a single data set for each of them, I decided to combine them here. It’s important to note that the goal is not to compare results between individual drummers, but to showcase their individual data and some interesting observations from each of them.

I’ve also summarized the results from all the Year 1 participants to start to look for trends in the data. Make sure you read to the end!

How many Calories does Christian Tanna burn during a show with I Mother Earth?

Christian wore the armbands and heart rate (HR) monitor during a show at Toronto’s Festival of Beer (July 29, 2018). This was an interesting data collection, because Finger Eleven played right before I Mother Earth, and Steve Molella joined Christian during the encore – the first time collecting data on two drummers at the same time!

Here’s what we found:

Christian’s total energy expenditure over the 89 minute set was 1218 Calories, for an average intensity of just under 14 Cal/min. “Used to Be Alright”, “Raspberry”, and “No One” all registered intensities of about 15 Cal/min, but “No One” claims the title for Most Intense Song because Christian registered the highest average HR (184 BPM) and peak HR (189 BPM) during this song.

One commonly used formula to calculate the maximum possible heart rate a person can achieve is HRmax = 220-age¹. However, HRmax varies a lot between different people, so a person’s actual HRmax can be very different from their age-predicted HRmax.

Christian’s HR data shows that he is one of the individuals for whom this calculation does not hold. His average and peak HR during the show were both well above his age-predicted HRmax, at 175 BPM and 189 BPM, respectively. This was the case even when I used another commonly used equation to predict his HRmax (HRmax = 208-[0.7*age])².

Christian’s true HRmax could be the peak HR achieved during the show (189 BPM), or it could be even higher – without physiologic testing, it’s not possible to know.

Regardless, given that the average adult’s resting HR is between 60-100 BPM³, it’s clear that Christian was working very hard up there! If I assume that his HRmax is the peak HR he reached during the show, then Christian spent 72% of the show at a ‘vigorous’ intensity (77-95% HRmax) and 27% of the show ‘near or at maximal’ intensity (96-100% HRmax)⁴.

How many Calories does John Clardy burn during a show with Tera Melos?

John wore the armbands and HR monitor during a show at the Pike Room in Pontiac, MI in November of 2018.

Here’s what we found:

John burned a total of 516 calories over the 56-minute set (~9 Cal/min), and “Your Friends” was the most intense song (average intensity: 11 Cal/min, average HR: 154 BPM, peak HR: 162 BPM). His average heart rate over the entire set was 134 BPM, representing 72% of his age-predicted HRmax. He spent 52% of the show in the moderate intensity zone (64-76% HRmax), and 33% in the vigorous intensity zone.

After I sent him his data, John wanted to know how his numbers compared to the other drummers I’ve worked with. I don’t want to turn this into a contest (although, John isn’t the first one to ask me this…lol…). However, it is a fair question, and John agreed to let me share my answer:

In terms of his rate of Calories burned per minute, John was in the middle to lower end of my data pool, but his body mass is also one of the lowest in the participant pool, and people with lower body mass burn fewer Calories overall for the same activity intensity and duration than people with higher body mass⁵.

When I accounted for body mass and looked at his rate of Calories burned per kilogram of body mass per minute, John had one of the highest energy expenditures in the study so far! This could be related to many factors, such as playing characteristics (e.g., movement efficiency), musical genre, fitness level, ambient temperature, etc.

Drummer Lab: Energy Expenditure during Rock Drumming – Year 1 Summary

Over the first year of this study, I collected data on 14 professional drummers during live performances. Thirteen participants yielded useable energy expenditure data, and six yielded useable heart rate data. The average rate of energy expenditure across these 13 participants was 10.2 Calories/minute. The average heart rate (6 participants) was 150 BPM, and the average peak heart rate was 179 BPM. On average, these participants spent 62% of their performance time working at a moderate-to-vigorous⁴ intensity.

The results from the first year of this study compare favorably to the findings from previous research on energy expenditure in rock/pop drumming⁶,⁷. In terms of energy expenditure, Romero et al.⁶ (5 drummers) and De La Rue et al.⁶ (14 drummers) reported average rates of energy expenditure of about 9 Cal/min and 10 Cal/min, respectively. Romero et al.⁶ reported an average HR of 145 BPM, and De La Rue et al.⁷ reported an average HR of 166 BPM. Although there were methodological differences between my study and theirs, it was still exciting to see that I was getting similar results to previous work.

Overall, we’re building a body of evidence that converges on the same point: playing the drums can be a vigorous physical activity, and professional drummers can reach intensity levels during live performances that are comparable to those seen in other professional athletes⁸. Nevertheless, I wanted to continue to collect data, especially on drummers from many different musical genres. Interest from drummers who wanted to participate in the study was still high, and Year 2 of the study promised to be a very exciting and interesting one. Stay tuned!

Top 3 takeaways:

1. The average rate of energy expenditure across 13 drummers from Year 1 of the Drummer Lab Energy Expenditure study was 10.2 Calories/minute. The group’s average heart rate was 150 BPM and their peak heart rate was 179 BPM.
2. The Year 1 participants spent of 62% of their performance time working at a moderate to vigorous intensity.
3. The results from the first year of this study compare favorably to the findings from previous research on energy expenditure in rock/pop drumming⁶,⁷.

References:

1. Fox SM III, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Annals of Clinical Research. 1971; 3(6): 404–432.
2. Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2001; 37(1): 153–156.
3. American Heart Association. All about heart rate (pulse) [Internet]. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association, 2015 [cited 2020 March 9]. Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse#.WnPsFZM-ffY
4. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed). 2018. Deborah Riebe, Jonathan K. Ehrman, Gary Liguori, Meir Magal (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, PA, 472 pp.
5. Westerterp KR. Physical activity and physical activity induced energy expenditure in humans: measurement, determinants, and effects. Frontiers in Physiology. 2013 April; 4 (Article 90): 11 pages. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00090.
6. Romero BR, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Galpin AJ. Metabolic demands of heavy metal drumming. International Journal of Kinesiology & Sports Science. 2016 July; 4(3): 32-36.
7. De La Rue SE, Draper SB, Potter CR, Smith MS. Energy expenditure in rock/pop drumming. International Journal of Sport Medicine. 2013 Oct; 34(10): 868-872.
8. Torreño N, Munguía-Izquierdo D, Coutts A, de Villarreal ES, Asian-Clemente J, Suarez-Arrones L. Relationship between external and internal loads of professional soccer players during full matches in official games using global positioning systems and heart-rate technology. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2016 Oct; 11(7): 940-946.

Photos by Joe Orlando & Dory Azar

How many Calories does Chuck Comeau burn during a show with Simple Plan?

I had never been to the Vans Warped Tour until the summer of 2018. Since that was the last year in which the tour would run, I’m very grateful I got to experience it at least once. Especially given that Simple Plan was on the tour, and Chuck Comeau had agreed to participate in my drummer energy expenditure study!

I knew from the start that this was going to be a unique data collection experience. During our first conversation, Chuck mentioned that he does a stage dive/crowd surf at every show. Would that be an issue with the equipment? I thought it would probably be fine, but it almost wasn’t. We had a scary moment during the first show where one of the armbands came loose and slipped off!

Thankfully, Chuck managed to catch and hang onto it until the crowd returned him to the stage (I have video footage of the whole thing!). Lesson learned: we locked them down with multiple layers of athletic tape at the next show to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Chuck wore the armbands and heart rate monitor at shows in Toronto, Ontario and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Simple Plan played the same set list at both shows, except for one extra song at the Toronto show.

Here’s what we found:

Chuck’s total energy expenditure was slightly higher in Toronto than in Rochester Hills (390 vs. 339 Calories). This was to be expected, since that show was slightly longer. The average intensity in Toronto was also slightly higher: ~12 Calories/min vs. ~11 Calories/min.

In terms of energy expenditure, “Jump” and “Welcome to My Life” tied for the most intense songs at the first show (~14 Cal/min), and “Welcome to My Life” was the most intense song at the second show (again ~14 Cal/min). However, in terms of heart rate…in Toronto, Chuck registered his highest average heart rate (169 BPM) and one of his highest peak heart rates (175 BPM) during “Boom”. In Rochester Hills, he registered his highest average and peak heart rates during “Shut Up” (166 BPM and 176 BPM, respectively). Given that heart rate is very closely related to both actual and perceived exertion, the title of ‘most intense song’ goes to “Boom” and “Shut Up”.

Chuck’s average heart rate during the shows was 166 BPM (Toronto) and 160 BPM (Rochester Hills), representing 91% and 88% of his age-predicted maximum heart rate, respectively. To put this in perspective, heart rates at these levels (% of max heart rate) are comparable to those seen in professional soccer players during competitive match play!¹

Based on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) definitions of exercise intensity zones², across both shows, Chuck spent 77% of his time in the “vigorous intensity” zone, and 17% in the “at or near maximal” zone.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – drummers ARE athletes!

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Chuck’s average rate of energy expenditure across both shows was 11.5 Calories/minute.
2. His average heart rate (as a % of age-predicted maximum heart rate) at each show was comparable to heart rates recorded in professional soccer players during competitive match play¹.
3. Stage dives can be problematic for research equipment if you don’t take proper precautions.

References:

1. Torreño N, Munguía-Izquierdo D, Coutts A, de Villarreal ES, Asian-Clemente J, Suarez-Arrones L. Relationship between external and internal loads of professional soccer players during full matches in official games using global positioning systems and heart-rate technology. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2016 Oct; 11(7): 940-946.
2. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed). 2018. Deborah Riebe, Jonathan K. Ehrman, Gary Liguori, Meir Magal (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, PA, 472 pp.

Photos by Joe Orlando

How many Calories does Jason Pierce burn during a show with Our Lady Peace?

In 1998, Our Lady Peace played at St. Joseph’s High School here in Windsor, Ontario. Almost all my friends went to the show…except me.

I can’t remember why I didn’t go, but 20 years later…redemption! Not only did I get to see them live on back-to-back nights, but I got to collect energy expenditure and heart rate data on Jason Pierce during both shows!

Here’s what we found:

At the first show, Our Lady Peace played 16 songs, two of which were acoustic (“In Repair” and “Somewhere Out There” – Jason played a cajon for those songs). His total energy expenditure (including down time between songs) was 915 Calories over the 90-minute set (~10 Cal/min). In terms of energy expenditure, “Naveed” was the most intense song (~13 Cal/min) and “Ballad of a Poet” was the least intense (~7 Cal/min).

In terms of heart rate, however, Jason’s average and peak rates were highest during “Drop Me in the Water” (163 BPM and 185 BPM, respectively), and lowest during “Ballad of a Poet” (117 BPM and 130 BPM, respectively).

Jason’s total energy expenditure was much lower at the second show (566 Calories), but this was to be expected given the much shorter set length (57 minutes). However, his average intensity level was nearly identical (~10 Cal/min). In terms of energy expenditure, “Innocent” was the most intense song (~13 Cal/min) and “Hiding Place for Hearts” was the least intense (~3 Cal/min). Once again, Jason’s heart rate told a somewhat different story: his average and peak heart rates were highest during “One Man Army” (174 BPM and 187 BPM, respectively), and lowest during “Hiding Place for Hearts” (137 BPM and 160 BPM, respectively).

Both the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology³ and the American College of Sports Medicine⁴ recommend that healthy adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise per week. Based on his heart rate (HR)², Jason accumulated over half of that at the first show alone! He spent 42% of the show at a ‘moderate’ intensity, 48% of the show at a ‘vigorous’ intensity, and 1% of the show ‘near or at maximal’ intensity, for a total of 82 minutes (91% of the show) at or above the recommended exercise intensity.

At the second show – although Jason spent a similar total proportion of time at or above the recommended exercise intensity level (99% of the show) – the distribution of time spent in each of the exercise intensity categories was very different. This time, Jason spent substantially less time at a ‘moderate’ intensity (9% of the show) and substantially more time at a ‘vigorous’ intensity (83% of the show) and ‘near or at maximal’ intensity (7% of the show). There are a couple of reasons why this might have happened:

First, the set at the second show included fewer of the lower-intensity songs (and no acoustic versions), but it contained most of the same higher-intensity songs, as the set from the first show. Heart rate increases with exercise intensity, so a set list containing fewer of the lower-intensity songs would result in more time spent at higher heart rates.

Second, there was a huge difference in the ambient temperatures between the two shows. The first show took place in an air-conditioned indoor venue, while the second show was at an outdoor festival on an exceptionally hot and humid summer day. When Our Lady Peace took the stage at around 8pm, the outdoor conditions were sunny, 84°F (29°C) with 59% humidity, and very little breeze to speak of⁵.

When you exercise in the heat, your body has to balance the need for 1) blood flow to your muscles to fuel the exercise, and b) blood flow to your skin to help dissipate body heat⁶. One of the adjustments your body makes to meet these demands is to increase your heart rate⁶. Therefore, due to the intense heat, Jason’s heart was probably beating faster during the second show to maintain blood flow to his muscles while simultaneously working to regulate his body temperature. This, along with the higher intensity set list, is likely to be a driving factor behind the shift in the distribution of the time Jason spent in the higher intensity exercise categories.

Jason accumulated a total of 56 minutes at or above the recommended exercise intensity^3,4 at the second show. So, between the two shows, Jason accumulated 137 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise…”just” by playing the drums.

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Jason’s average intensity was similar at both shows (both ~10 Cal/min).
2. Heart rate increases when exercise is performed in the heat due (in part) to the added demand of moving blood to skin to help regulate body temperature⁶.
3. Over the two shows, Jason spent 137 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity, which nearly meets current weekly exercise recommendations for healthy adults^3,4.

References:

1. Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities.
2. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed). 2018. Deborah Riebe, Jonathan K. Ehrman, Gary Liguori, Meir Magal (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, PA, 472 pp.
3. Canadian physical activity guidelines for adults 18-64 years [document on the internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology; 2018 [cited 2019 Nov 7]. Available from: https://csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/#:~:text=Moderate%20to%20vigorous%20aerobic%20physical,at%20least%20twice%20a%20week
4. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee I-M, Nieman DC, Swain DP. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011 Jul; 43(7): 1334-1359. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb. Available: https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2011/07000/Quantity_and_Quality_of_Exercise_for_Developing.26.aspx
5. Time and Date AS [Internet]. Past Weather in Mansfield, Ohio, USA — July 2018. Mansfield Weather History for July 14, 2018 [cited 2019 Nov 27];[about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/mansfield-oh/historic?month=7&year=2018
6. González-Alonso J, Crandall CG, Johnson JM. The cardiovascular challenge of exercising in the heat. The Journal of Physiology. 2008 Jan 1; 586(Pt 1): 45–53. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.142158

Featured image: Nadia Azar
Setup image: Sean Palmer

How many Calories does Mike Wengren burn during a show with Disturbed?

“My brothers and sisters, my blood…”

It’s early afternoon on July 11, 2018: I’m SUPER pumped because Disturbed is in town, and I haven’t seen them live since the Ten Thousand Fists tour. I’m at work and trying to focus, so I haven’t checked my email all morning.

Little did I know, that sitting in my inbox was a message from Mike Wengren – drummer and founding member of Disturbed. He had received information about my study and was willing to participate…AT TONIGHT’S SHOW!

Luckily, I checked my email, and we were able to pull together plans in time for him to wear the armbands and heart rate (HR) monitor that night.

Here’s what we found:

Mike burned a total of 866 Calories over the 80 minute set, for an average rate (what I refer to as ‘intensity’) of almost 11 Cal/min. Based on his body mass, this is comparable to a vigorous 80 minute session on a stationary rower¹…but way more fun!

As expected, the lowest-intensity song was “The Sound of Silence” (~6 Cal/min). “Indestructible” was the highest, at almost 14 Cal/min. To put this in context: when you factor out body mass, playing “Indestructible” was comparable in intensity to running half a mile in about 4 minutes¹. Overall, Mike’s rates of Calories burned per kilogram of body mass per minute were some of the highest I’ve recorded so far!

We couldn’t get HR data at this show because of an issue with the monitor, but Mike wore the devices at a second show in March of 2019. This time, Mike burned a total of 1147 Calories over 118 minutes, for an average intensity of about 10 Cal/min. This is a little lower than his average intensity at the first show, which Mike had predicted would be the case given the addition of some mellower songs and several sections with no drumming to the set list. Regardless…1147 Calories is a whole lot of energy to burn in one go!

This time, I asked Mike to predict which song would have the highest intensity. His pick was “Ten Thousand Fists”, because they go right into it from his drum solo. According to the armbands, this wasn’t the case – the highest intensity song was “The Animal” (13 Cal/min), although to be fair, “Ten Thousand Fists” was right behind it at 12.5 Cal/min.

I also asked Mike to predict the lowest-intensity song. His pick was “The Sound of Silence”, but again the armbands suggested something different: “Watch You Burn” registered a lower intensity, although again they were very close (4.6 Cal/min vs. 5.4 Cal/min, respectively).

If you know these songs as well as I do, you’re probably thinking “how can this be?” Subjective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) – or in other words, how hard someone feels they are working – are very closely related to heart rate. As your heart rate increases, so does your RPE².

When you look at Mike’s heart rate trace, you can clearly see that his peak heart rate readings occurred during his drum solo and “Ten Thousand Fists”. And although it’s not quite as obvious in the graph, Mike’s heart rate was also lowest during “The Sound of Silence”!

Why the discrepancy? There are a few possible contributors, but it’s most likely due to the different sensors measuring different things. This is why it’s good to have multiple data sources to help me sort out these findings!

So – Mike’s peak HR occurred during his drum solo, but his average HR was highest during “Ten Thousand Fists” and he also registered his second highest peak HR and rate of energy expenditure during this song. Therefore, the title of most intense song at the second show goes to “Ten Thousand Fists”.

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Mike’s average intensity was similar at both shows (11 Cal/min and 10 Cal/min, respectively).
2. “Indestructible” (~14 Cal/min) and “Ten Thousand Fists” (~13 Cal/min, average HR of 163 BPM, peak HR of 169 BPM) were the most intense songs.
3. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are closely related to HR².

References:

1. Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities.
2. Scherr J, Wolfarth B, Christie JW, Pressler A, Wagenpfeil S, Halle M. Associations between Borg’s rating of perceived exertion and physiological measures of exercise intensity. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013 Jan;113(1):147-55. doi: 10.1007/s00421-012-2421-x.

Header image: Joe Orlando
Set-up image: Dory Azar

How many Calories does Steve Molella burn during a show with Finger Eleven?

After I finished analyzing the data I collected on Tim Alexander and Brann Dailor, I was really happy with how my energy expenditure monitors were performing. I was getting pretty consistent readings on each of the drummers from night to night, and although I can’t directly compare my data to those reported in earlier research studies^1,2, my data were matching up nicely with theirs.

The average rate of energy expenditure across all six of my participants was about 10 Cal/min. By comparison, Romero et al.¹ (5 drummers) and De La Rue et al.²  (14 drummers) reported average rates of energy expenditure of about 9 Cal/min and 10 Cal/min, respectively. So, even though direct comparisons between the three studies aren’t appropriate, at least I was in the same ballpark.

This was great to see, but a sample size of six drummers is pretty small to be looking for trends or making judgments. I already had a few more drummers lined up to be in the study, but I decided that I wanted another source of data to enhance my analyses. The gold standard for monitoring energy expenditure is indirect calorimetry, but even portable units would be bulky enough to be a nuisance for drummers during a live performance. So, I decided to add a heart rate (HR) monitor to the study protocol. This would allow me to estimate the intensity levels associated with playing the drums using the Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)³. 

Next up in the DRUMMER Lab is Steve Molella. Steve is a producer based in Toronto, Canada, and is currently drumming for Finger Eleven. He had already agreed to wear the BodyMedia armbands during two live shows in July 2018, and he was good with adding the HR monitor, too. 

Here’s what we found:

At the first show, Finger Eleven played a 75-minute set, including 15 songs and a guitar solo (during which Steve came off the kit). Steve’s total energy expenditure was 750 Calories (including downtime between songs and James’ solo). “First Time”, “Quicksand”, and “Cake” (a song by the band’s original incarnation, The Rainbow Butt Monkeys) tied for most intense song (all ~12 Cal/min).

Typical resting heart rate (HR) for healthy adults ranges from 60-100 bpm⁴. Steve’s average HR during the show was 152 bpm, which represents 82 percent of his age-predicted maximum HR. The ACSM defines any activities that push your HR into this zone as “vigorous intensity” activities³. Steve spent 74 percent of the show in this zone, and another 19 percent in the “moderate intensity” zone. 

At the second show, Finger Eleven played a 79-minute set, including 15 songs and a guitar solo (Steve came off the kit). The band later came back on stage to play the last two songs with I MOTHER EARTH, which was super cool because Christian Tanna was also doing the study that day, so I got to monitor two drummers at the same time!

This time, Steve’s total energy expenditure was 814 Calories (including downtime between songs and James’ solo). “Living in a Dream” and “As Far As I Can Spit” (another Rainbow Butt Monkeys classic) tied for the most intense songs (both 12 Cal/min).

Steve’s average heart rate (HR) during the show was 157 bpm (84 percent of his age-predicted maximum HR). He spent 87 percent of the show in the “vigorous intensity” zone, and another 12 percent in the “moderate intensity” zone.

So…compared to the first show, Steve burned more calories and spent more time in the “vigorous intensity” zone. However, remember that Christian Tanna was also doing the study that day, and his set was after Steve’s. I only have one HR monitor, so Steve’s HR numbers don’t include the last two songs, which might explain why his HR numbers are higher this time around. That, and the ambient temperature – both of Steve’s shows were outdoors, and it was a lot cooler at the show in Kincardine – may play a role.

The bottom line? Drumming is exercise, and drummers are athletes.

Top 3 takeaways:

1. The average rate of energy expenditure of the drummers in this study is approximately 10 Cal/min, which is comparable to the rates reported in previous studies^1,2.
2. Steve burned an average of 10 Cal/min and spent more than 74 percent of the show in the “vigorous intensity”³ activity zone (based on HR) at both shows.
3. Drummers are athletes.

References:

1. Romero BR, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Galpin AJ. Metabolic demands of heavy metal drumming. International Journal of Kinesiology & Sports Science. 2016 July; 4(3): 32-36. 
2. De La Rue SE, Draper SB, Potter CR, Smith MS. Energy expenditure in rock/pop drumming. International Journal of Sport Medicine. 2013 Oct; 34(10): 868-872.
3. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed). 2018. Deborah Riebe, Jonathan K. Ehrman, Gary Liguori, Meir Magal (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, PA, 472 pp.
4. Solan M. Your resting heart rate can reflect your current – and future – health. Boston, MA: Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School [Internet]. Posted 2016 June 17, updated 2019 February 6 [cited 2019 October 15]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/resting-heart-rate-can-reflect-current-future-health-201606179806. 

Photo credit: Dory Azar

How many Calories does Brann Dailor burn during a show with Mastodon?

Given that I’d already confirmed Tim Alexander for the study, I decided to look into who would be opening for Primus at the two shows we had chosen. Maybe I could find a way to recruit their drummer for the study, too?

By this point, my study was off to a pretty incredible start. I had collected data on some excellent, high-profile drummers, and I had Vater Percussion and Coalition Music on board to help me recruit more.

Turns out Mastodon and Primus were co-headlining the tour. Awesome. Brann Dailor is not only a wizard on the drums, he also sings on many of their tracks. Not background vocals – Brann often sings lead vocals! He also happened to be a Vater Percussion artist (insert “Everything’s coming up Milhouse!” meme here). I reached out to my contact at Vater and asked him to send my study information to Brann. Later that day, I got an email that Brann was on board, so we made plans for him to wear the armbands at the same two shows as Tim. Two drummers in one night! This was going to be fun.

Here’s what we found:

Mastodon played the same set list at both shows (17 songs over about 78 minutes). Brann’s total energy expenditure (including downtime between songs) was 839 Calories for Show #1, and 891 Calories for Show #2. His average intensity was also similar between shows – about 11 and 12 Calories/minute, respectively. Based on Brann’s body mass, this intensity level is comparable to a vigorous session on a stationary rower.¹

Imagine high-intensity rowing for over an hour! No thanks…

At Show #1, there was a three-way tie between “Crystal Skull”, “Precious Stones”, and “Roots Remain” for the title of ‘most intense song’ (all ~12 Cal/min). For Show #2, “Roots Remain” edged out the other songs for the win (~13 Cal/min).

What I found particularly interesting about Brann’s data was that aside from the first song of the set (“Sultan’s Curse”, ~7 Cal/min), there was very little variation in song intensities. All the other songs were clustered between 10-13 Calories/minute, and 85% of the songs were 11-12 Calories/minute. With only about five minutes of downtime per set (~20 seconds between songs), that is a blistering pace!

High-intensity interval training, anyone?

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Brann burned an average of 11-12 Calories per minute at both shows.
2. Based on his body mass, this rate of energy expenditure is comparable to vigorous stationary rowing.¹
3. “Roots Remain” was the most intense song at the second show (13 Cal/min), and tied with “Crystal Skull” and “Precious Stones” for the most intense song at the first show (~12 Cal/min).

References:

Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities.

Images: Joe Orlando

How many Calories does Tim Alexander burn during a show with Primus?

It’s early morning, mid-March 2018. I stumble downstairs, eyes half open (I am not a morning person). I’m barely coherent, especially with only about two sips of coffee in me, but for some reason I decide to check my email.

There’s a message in my inbox with the subject “Drummer study”…and it’s from Tim Alexander, drummer for Primus.

Good morning…wide awake now!

I was excited to have Tim on board for the study, simply because he’s a highly accomplished drummer. However, I quickly realized that this was an interesting prospect for another reason: Tim suffered a heart attack in 2014, underwent triple bypass surgery, and then suffered a second heart attack in 2016. Given the importance of exercise in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and in cardiac rehabilitation^1,2, seeing Tim’s energy expenditure during a live show could provide some unique insights into the use of drumming as a potential mode of exercise.

Tim wore the Bodymedia armbands for two shows on the North American leg of Primus’ 2018 spring tour. The band played their newest album (The Desaturating Seven) in its entirety at both shows, plus 10 other songs each night – including my personal favourite to close out Show #2 (“Tommy the Cat”…LOVE that song!).

Here’s what we found:

Tim’s total energy expenditure for the full show was 556 Calories over 89 minutes for Show #1, and 554 Calories over 85 minutes for Show #2. These numbers represent the total number of Calories that Tim burned during each show, from the first note to the last, including downtime between songs. I also calculated Tim’s energy expenditure to play through The Desaturating Seven, since they played the full album from start to finish: 203 Calories in Show #1, and 240 Calories in Show #2.

‘Intensity’ refers to the level of effort, and it is calculated by dividing the total Calories burned by the duration of the show or song – the higher the number, the higher the effort level. Tim’s average intensity was very similar between shows: 6 and 7 Calories/minute, respectively. The average intensity for The Desaturating Seven was also very consistent: ~6 Calories/min at both shows.

Based on his body mass, this rate of energy expenditure is similar to what Tim would expend by walking at 3.5 mph for the same amount of time³. It might not seem very intense on the surface, but this would be like walking just over 5 miles – that’s some solid exercise! Also, remember that this was Tim’s average intensity level. On both nights, “My Name is Mud” was the most intense song to play (i.e. the highest Calorie burn rate, at 9-10 Cal/min). There were also several other songs where Tim got up into the 8 Cal/min range. For his body mass, these intensity levels are similar to the energy expenditure associated with walking/running at a pace of 4-5 mph³.

You can see from the bar charts that Tim’s intensity level varied a lot song by song, and so it more closely resembles interval training than continuous aerobic exercise. Even more importantly, these intensity levels are enough to reap the cardiovascular health benefits of exercise¹.

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Tim’s average total energy expenditure across both shows was 555 Calories.
2. His average rate of energy expenditure was roughly equivalent to walking at 3.5 mph for nearly 90 minutes (equivalent to just over 5 miles total distance).
3. Tim’s intensity level over the course of the show more closely resembled interval training than continuous aerobic exercise, and was in the range associated with cardiovascular health benefits.

References:

1. How much exercise is optimal for heart health? [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2016 [cited 2019 July 22]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/how-much-exercise-is-optimal-for-heart-health
2. Lavie CJ, Thomas RJ, Squires RW, Allison TG, Milani RV. Exercise training and cardiac rehabilitation in primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2009 Apr; 84(4): 373–383.
3. Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities.

Headline Image: Joe Orlando
Other Images: Dory Azar

How many Calories does Casey Grillo burn during a show with Queensrÿche?

In mid-March of 2018, my study on drumming-related injuries was in full swing, and Drum Talk TV was helping me to distribute it to drummers around the world. Their CEO, Dan Shinder, also knew about the energy expenditure study, and he offered to contact Casey Grillo to see if he’d like to participate.

Absolutely!

Casey was the drummer for Kamelot for over 20 years. He now owns and operates Drumstatic (custom designed and printed bass drumheads) and has been filling in as Queensrÿche‘s touring drummer for the last couple of years.

Casey told me that he had always been curious to know what kind of workout he was getting while playing the drums (this was to become a recurring theme with most of the drummers who volunteered for this study). So we made plans for him to wear the monitors for two upcoming Queensrÿche shows: one in Detroit, Michigan (April 21, 2018) and one in Northfield, Ohio (May 4, 2018).

Here’s what we found:

For Show #1 (Detroit), the band played 11 songs over 57 minutes. Casey’s total energy expenditure was 630 Calories (including downtime between songs). “Damaged” was the most intense song in the set (~13 Cal/min), and as you might expect, “Silent Lucidity” was the least intense (9 Cal/min).

For Show #2 (Northfield), the band added six songs and a drum solo to the set from Show #1. They played for almost 90 minutes, so it’s not surprising Casey burned more Calories that night (928 total, including downtime). “Walk in the Shadows” just barely edged out “Damaged” for the win as the most intense song this time around, but the difference between them was negligible (both were ~12 Cal/min). Once again, “Silent Lucidity” was the least intense song (9 Cal/min).

However – when you look at the average rate of Calories burned per minute, the two shows are pretty much identical (~11 Cal/min). Casey was working at the same average intensity level for both shows, even though one was longer than the other!

Based on his body mass, this rate of energy expenditure is roughly equivalent to cycling at 12 mph (~19 km/h) or running at 5 mph (~8 km/h)¹. To put this in context, Casey would have had to run 4.75 miles (7.6 km) and 7.25 miles (11.7 km) at this pace to match the energy he used in Shows #1 and #2, respectively.

In other words…it’s a workout, people!

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Casey burned an average of 11 Calories per minute at both shows.
2. This rate of energy expenditure is comparable to cycling at 12 mph or running at 5 mph.
3. “Damaged” and “Walk in the Shadows” were the most intense songs from each show (13 Cal/min and 12 Cal/min, respectively).

References:

1. Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities

Feature Image: Ignacio Cangelo
Other Images: Dory Azar

Like anyone else who engages in strenuous athletic or occupational tasks, drummers run the risk of developing playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs). These types of injuries – also known as repetitive strain or overuse injuries – include pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms that happen as a result of playing the drums and interfere with your ability to play the drums at the level to which you are accustomed.³ They develop over time and include conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and bursitis.

We’ve all heard of drummers who have faced potentially career-ending PRMDs. Maybe you’ve even experienced one yourself. But just how common are PRMDs in drummers? What are the most common injuries? What can drummers do to avoid them?

Although there are many anecdotes to answer these questions, there isn’t much research out there on PRMDs in percussionists, let alone research that specifically focuses on drummers.

So, I decided to do my own study to address these issues. My goal was to determine the rates and patterns of PRMDs in drummers, and to identify drummer-specific characteristics that might put drummers at risk for (or protect them from) developing PRMDs. The results will help me provide drummers with evidence-based answers to the questions I listed above.

(Read the full study here)

What the study looked like

I developed and distributed an electronic survey that included three types of questions:

• Respondent characteristics (e.g. age, years of playing experience, etc.)
• Rates and patterns of PRMDs (e.g. injury history, location, medical diagnoses, etc.)
• Drumming- and lifestyle-related characteristics (practice and performance habits, playing technique and style, exercise habits, etc.)

Most drummers have had at least one PRMD

Of the 831 drummers who provided usable survey responses, 68% indicated that they had experienced a PRMD at some time in their life, and 59% had experienced more than one PRMD. The upper limb (especially the wrist) and the lower back were the most commonly affected locations. The most commonly reported diagnoses were tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, but only 42% of the respondents with PRMDs reported receiving a diagnosis from a medical professional.

Tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome are the most common drumming injuries

The study confirmed that PRMDs, especially those affecting the upper limb, are a significant health problem for drummers. I’m sure many of you reading this are thinking, “Thanks, Captain Obvious!” It was worth the effort to conduct the study because I now have research evidence about PRMDs that is specific to drummers and represents a broad spectrum of ages, career stages, experience levels, and musical genres.

Tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome emerged as the two most frequently-received medical diagnoses. The Mayo Clinic defines tendinitis as “inflammation or irritation of a tendon”.⁴ It can occur in any tendon in the body, and the symptoms can include pain while moving the affected area and/or to the touch, and mild swelling.⁴ Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the very small space through the bones of the wrist.⁵ The symptoms include “frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers.”⁵ An upcoming article will include more information on these injuries.

When to see a doctor

If you are experiencing symptoms (including pain) of any kind while you are playing, and especially if those symptoms persist when you are not playing, you should see a medical professional right away. The sooner you can pinpoint the problem, the better your chances are of successfully treating it and making changes that will prevent it from happening again! Also – be aware that you may need to see more than one medical professional to treat the problem. A primary care physician can give you a diagnosis, but you really need to see a rehab specialist (e.g. physiotherapist, athletic therapist) to help you recover.

Top takeaways:

• Drumming-related injuries are very common (lifetime history was 68%).
• The upper limb (especially the wrist) and the lower back are the most commonly affected body parts.
• The two most frequently reported drumming-related injury diagnoses are tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• See a medical professional as soon as possible if you suspect you have a PRMD.

References

1. De La Rue SE, Draper SB, Potter CR, Smith MS. Energy expenditure in rock/pop drumming. Int J Sports Med. 2013 Sep 30;34(10):868–72. DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1337905
2. Romero B, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Galpin AJ. Metabolic demands of heavy metal drumming. IJKSS. 2016;4(3). DOI: 10.7575/aiac.ijkss.v.4n.3p.32
3. Zaza C, Charles C, Muszynski A. The meaning of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders to classical musicians. Soc Sci Med. 1998;47(12):2013-23.
4. Tendinitis [document on the Internet]. Rochester (MN): Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER); 2019 [cited 2019 July 26]. Available from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tendinitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378243.
5. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet [document on the Internet]. Bethesda (MD): Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health; 2019 [cited 2019 July 26]. Available from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet.

*Neither Drumeo nor Dr. Azar can provide medical advice. Please go see a medical professional if you’re concerned about something! The content of this article is meant to provide you with some food for thought and some information to help you ask the right questions of your medical team.

How many Calories does Danny Miles burn during a show with July Talk?

My first inkling that this “calorie burning during live performances” experiment could really turn into something came after I posted Jeff Burrows’ study results on social media. At the end of the post, I asked people to use the comments to tag drummers they’d want to see participate in the study.

One of the first comments was from Danny Miles, the drummer for award-winning Canadian band July Talk, saying that he’d be a willing participant! The band wasn’t actively touring at the time, but they did have a few shows scheduled over the coming months, so we made plans to monitor Danny at two of them.

Here’s what we found:

The first show was on May 11, 2018, at a very crowded (read: HOT) indoor venue in Toronto, Ontario. That night, Danny burned 726 Calories during a 70-minute set (including time between songs), so the average rate of Calories burned over the whole set was about 10 Calories/minute.

“Picturing Love” was the most intense song (~13 Cal/min), and “I’ve Rationed Well” was the least intense (~6 Cal/min)…which makes perfect sense, because “I’ve Rationed Well” had the least and lightest drumming of all the songs in the set.

Danny wore the armbands for the second time a few months later during a cool and rainy outdoor set at Riverfest Elora (August 17, 2018). Total energy expenditure over the 86-minute set was 863 Calories, for an average intensity of about 10 Calories/min – pretty much identical to the intensity from Show #1. This time, “Lola + Joseph” was the most intense song (13 Cal/min), edging out “Picturing Love” (12.8 Cal/min) by the slimmest of margins. Once again, “I’ve Rationed Well” came up as the least intense song (~6 Cal/min).

For the second show, Danny also wore a heart rate (HR) monitor – an aspect I had added to the study protocol in the weeks between his two data collections. Danny’s average HR during Show #2 was 143 bpm. This is well above the typical resting HR for a healthy adult (60-100 bpm) and represented 78% of his age-predicted maximum HR.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines any activities that push your HR into this zone as “vigorous-intensity” activities¹. Both the ACSM and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommend that healthy adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every week^1,2. Danny spent 55% of the show at a vigorous intensity (77-95 % of max HR¹) and another 44% of the show at a moderate intensity (64-76 % of max HR¹). At 86 minutes, that’s more than half of the weekly exercise recommendation for healthy adults in a single show.

Still think playing the drums isn’t exercising?

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Danny burned an average of 10 Calories per minute at both shows.
2. “Picturing Love” and “Lola + Joseph” were the most intense songs (~13 Cal/min each).
3. Danny’s average heart rate during Show #2 was 143 bpm (78% of his age-predicted maximum heart rate).

References:

1. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed). 2018. Deborah Riebe, Jonathan K. Ehrman, Gary Liguori, Meir Magal (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, PA, 472 pp.
2. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (2011). Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Retrieved July 25, 2018 from http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_PAGuidelines_adults_en.pdf.

Feature Image: Robert Georgeff

How many calories does Jeff Burrows burn during a show with The Tea Party?

In the fall of 2017, I was working on launching my drummer injury research study, and Jeff Burrows (drummer for The Tea Party) had been helping me develop the survey for the study. During one of our conversations, I mentioned how Mike Mangini and I were working on a way to monitor drummers’ energy expenditures during a live show. Jeff was intrigued and wanted to get involved as well.

He suggested we try it out during a couple of shows during The Tea Party’s upcoming residency at The Horseshoe Tavern (Toronto, Ontario). In particular, he wanted to see if we could get data during the shows where the band would be featuring the Transmission and The Edges of Twilight albums.

The Tea Party played two sets and an encore at each show. The first set consisted of songs from each evening’s featured album, and the second set and the encore were a mix of songs from the rest of their anthology.

Here’s what we found:

On the first night, Jeff used about 691 calories to get through Transmission, about 627 calories in the second set, and about 178 calories for the encore. On the second night, he used about 727 calories to get through The Edges of Twilight, about 477 calories in the second set, and about 55 calories for the encore (one song – “Temptation”).

Jeff’s total energy expenditure (averaged across both shows) was about 1,378 calories. This included the calories burned over both sets and the encore, including time between songs, but did not include time between the first two sets or between the second set and the encore. Intensities (calories/minute) for each song from the featured albums are shown in the bar charts. “Gyroscope” and “Army Ants” were the most intense songs from Transmission, and “The Bazaar” was the most intense song from The Edges of Twilight (all ~13 cal/min).

Jeff’s average intensity for each show was a little over 8 calories/minute. Based on his body mass, that would be comparable to riding a stationary bike at a moderate pace for nearly 2.5 hours¹!

From the response I received when I posted Jeff’s and Mike’s data on social media, it was clear that this was something music fans and other drummers wanted to know more about. I decided to turn this into a full study, and I’ve now collected data on over 20 professional drummers (and counting!). In publishing this data, I’m hoping to demonstrate the value in playing the drums – not just from a musical perspective, but also as a way to engage in a healthy, active lifestyle. I am also using this information to reinforce to professional drummers that they need to prepare their bodies to meet the physical demands of their careers, the same way a professional athlete would.

Drummers are athletes!

Top 3 takeaways:

1. During these shows, Jeff burned just over 1,378 calories each night.
2. The three most intense songs (~13 cals/min) were “Gyroscope”, “Army Ants”, and “The Bazaar”.
3. During these shows, Jeff burned an average of 8 calories per minute.

References:

1. Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights [document on the Internet]. Boston (MA): Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School; 2018 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities.

Feature image: Joel Naphin
‘Polaroid’: David Torbett

How many calories does Mike Mangini burn during a Dream Theater show?

If you’re a drummer, you already know that playing the drums is really hard work. But have you ever wondered how much energy it takes to play the drums? Or more specifically, how many calories you burn during a gig or even a practice session?

A couple of years ago, Mike Mangini tweeted a guess at how many calories he burns during a Dream Theater show, which he based on previous studies of energy expenditure during pop/rock drumming. I’m a Kinesiology professor and a Dream Theater fan, so when I saw his tweet, I thought to myself…how cool would it be if we could find out more specifically? I have equipment that could do that!

The device I had in mind was the BodyMedia® armband. It is made up of four different sensors housed within a small plastic casing (about 1.5” square), which is secured to the back of the upper arm using an elastic Velcro strap. The device contains four sensors:

• A triaxial accelerometer, which measures motion in three planes (up-down, side-side, front-back)
• A temperature sensor, which monitors skin temperature
• A heat flux sensor, which monitors the rate of body heat dissipation
• A galvanic skin response sensor, which monitors skin conductivity (a value that increases with sweating)

The software that comes with the device contains algorithms that use the sensor data along with basic demographic information (height, weight, age, sex, handedness, and smoking status) to predict energy expenditure (i.e. calories burned). Unlike other laboratory-standard equipment, the BodyMedia® armbands are very small and wouldn’t get in the way of his playing.

I reached out to Mike about wearing the armbands during a couple of his shows. He was interested, so we made plans to make it happen on the Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour (yes, I do have the coolest job ever).

Here’s what we found:

Dream Theater played two sets and an encore, and they played the same sets on both nights. The first set consisted of a mix of songs, the second set was the Images and Words album in its entirety (including a 4-minute drum solo in the middle of “Metropolis Pt. 1”, and the encore was “A Change of Seasons”. Total show time was about 160 minutes on both nights.

On average, Mike used about 532 calories in the first set, about 614 calories to get through Images and Words, and 193 calories for A Change of Seasons. Mike’s total energy expenditure (averaged across both shows) was a whopping 1,338 calories. This included the calories burned over both sets and the encore, including time between songs, but did not include time between the first two sets or between the second set and the encore.

In addition to the totals, I was able to get estimates of energy expenditure for each individual song. Given that longer songs would naturally use up more calories, I divided each song by its duration to get an estimate of each song’s intensity (i.e. rate of calories burned per minute). Predictably, the lowest intensities were recorded during the portions of the show where Mike wasn’t playing – during “Wait For Sleep” and during John Myung’s cover of Jaco Pastorius’ “Portrait of Tracy” (both about 4 calories/minute on average). On both nights, the highest intensity part of the show was the second half of “Metropolis Pt. 1” (about 11 calories/minute), after they came back in from the drum solo.

I had thought the solo itself would be the most intense, but Mike disagreed. To him, the solo was the part of the show where the playing was easiest – the dynamics were a lot lighter than when the whole band was playing, so he didn’t have to hit nearly as hard. Mike’s average intensity for each show was a little over 8 calories/minute. Based on his body mass, that would be comparable to riding a stationary bike at a moderate pace for over 2.5 hours!

However, what I found truly incredible was Mike’s consistency in energy expenditure between the two shows. There was only a 3% difference in total calories consumed for Images and Words, 3% difference for the whole show, and no difference for A Change of Seasons!

So, Mike – you can sleep easy knowing you’ve earned at least one full serving of linguine con vongole (964 cal) and a glass of Amarone (176 cal/8 oz) after each show…with a few calories to spare.

Top 3 takeaways:

1. Mike burned just over 600 calories playing the Images and Words album, front to back.
2. In this set, Mike burned the most calories in the second half of Metropolis Pt 1.
3. During these shows, Mike burned an average of 8 calories per minute.

Feature image: Avihai Levy Photography