Calories burned while drumming?

[Sequimite]

I've been using myfitnesspal.com for a few months as a food and exercise log. (as "gregpstone") I've only been recording my bike riding under exercise so far, but this morning I searched for "playing drums" and it was in the database. Now I've always thought that the calories they show for exercise seem a little high. For instance I rode my bike 24 miles Friday and it said I had burned over 2000 calories.

Anyway they show 10 calories per minute burned while drumming. Does anyone have reason to think this is or is not accurate? If it is a little high I don't feel too bad about it since I'm not counting setup and breakdown which seems more strenuous.

 

[Sequimite]

edit - I do realize that different styles would result in different calories burned, but as my band is outlaw country / rock I think I'm squarely in the mainstream of energetic drumming.

real edit - goofed that, thought I was editing the previous post.

 

[SamS]

It really depends on the type of drumming you do. I think they used the calculations from the tests done on Clem Burke. If you've ever seen him play he is quite energetic. Fast music, slamming drums. That number would not apply to anything other than hard hitting rock or funk. If you're doing a mix of rock and mellower stuff you could easily divide that number in half.

Answered before seeing your second post.

 

[fun2drum]

I agree with Sam that it would have to depend on the degree of drumming. I think that it's got to be a good aerobic workout as well as calorie-burning activity for some drummers just because of the constant motion. That being said, I've seen plenty of obese drummers out there.

 

[Sequimite]

Thanks, I googled and found the Clem Burke study showing 10 calories per minute. I'm going to use 300 calories per hour and put it in the database as "moderate rock drumming".

 

[noahJT 2.0]

I think 10 a minute seems a bit high as well for average drum playing. 300 per hour seems like a safe, reasonable estimate to me.

 

[skinsman]

I remember reading a lot of years ago that a rock drummer playing a 4 hour gig would burn off the same calories as an NFL player in a full game. Judging from the number of clothes I have sweated thru in a set, I think that may be right.

 

[Sequimite]

I remember reading a lot of years ago that a rock drummer playing a 4 hour gig would burn off the same calories as an NFL player in a full game. Judging from the number of clothes I have sweated thru in a set, I think that may be right.

That didn't sound right to me until I realized that a football player is only on the field half the time, offense or defense, and that 90% of that time is walking back to the huddle, getting the play, lining up and waiting for the snap. when they are going full speed they're probably burning thousands of calories an hour, but they are full speed for only a few minutes a game.

 

[frankmott]

I never feel like I'm exerting myself, and I don't consider myself a hard hitter, but after a gig, I'm always RAVENOUSLY hungry. I must be burnig more than I think.

 

[noahJT 2.0]

I remember reading a lot of years ago that a rock drummer playing a 4 hour gig would burn off the same calories as an NFL player in a full game. Judging from the number of clothes I have sweated thru in a set, I think that may be right.

That didn't sound right to me until I realized that a football player is only on the field half the time, offense or defense, and that 90% of that time is walking back to the huddle, getting the play, lining up and waiting for the snap. when they are going full speed they're probably burning thousands of calories an hour, but they are full speed for only a few minutes a game.

I've read something that said there's actually only about 20 minutes of actual football per football game!

 

[Heartbeat]

I never feel like I'm exerting myself, and I don't consider myself a hard hitter, but after a gig, I'm always RAVENOUSLY hungry. I must be burnig more than I think.

Same here. Even in the middle of winter, I break a sweat at a gig. I think we burn more than we realize, especially when you consider setup and teardown. I've always wanted to put a pedometer on my right leg.

 

[supershifter2]

its gonna vary. i will burn lots more calories playing "love machine" by w.a.s.p. than i will playing "born to be wild". its the lifting of the legs and speed that burn the most. play the wasp song. also "i am what i am" by doro will burn some calories.

Tony Richards played drums on the W.A.S.P. song.

Bobby Rondinelli played drums on the Doro song.

 

[RedMist]

I've heard upwards of 600 calories for a 90 minute set.

 

[MonkeyGrass]

I"m pretty close to the 600/hour mark myself. I have a stupid high metabolism as it is, and I can literally eat a steak, potato and salad 30 minutes before showtime, and eat AGAIN an hour afterwards.

What I notice is that when I'm gigging normally (3-5x per week) I can basically eat whatever I want and not gain any weight. If I have a couple slow weeks, with maybe 1-2 gigs per, I'll pick up 4-5 lbs with a quickness. Less than two weeks. As soon I hit a 5-6 day road stretch, it's gone again.

 

[TamaBuster]

i too use my fitness pal and log my drumming. i feel it is accurate because i do play with oomf. i like to play heavy, and fast music sometimes, and hard rock music so i burn plenty of calories.

 

[cworrick]

How about calories burned when setting up/tearing down and lugging everything in and out?

 

[cworrick]

I remember reading a lot of years ago that a rock drummer playing a 4 hour gig would burn off the same calories as an NFL player in a full game. Judging from the number of clothes I have sweated thru in a set, I think that may be right.

That didn't sound right to me until I realized that a football player is only on the field half the time, offense or defense, and that 90% of that time is walking back to the huddle, getting the play, lining up and waiting for the snap. when they are going full speed they're probably burning thousands of calories an hour, but they are full speed for only a few minutes a game.

I've read something that said there's actually only about 20 minutes of actual football per football game!


I think I once heard that the average football play only lasts 8 seconds.

 

[wflkurt]

A lot of this does make sense to me because I am always starved after a gig. I play top forty country and am not totally slamming but between setting up, tearing down and doing the gig I'm sure a fair amount is burned. Besides having food on my usually long drive home coupled with some zeppelin or something helps keep me awake.