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Rock drummers, some claim, are finely tuned athletes, as fit as any long-distance runner. But to get your head around that idea, you'll have to put aside all sorts of assumptions and stereotypes.

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 1 1/2 -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 2 quarts in lost fluids.

In short, banging on the skins is quite a workout. "Live rock drumming performance relies heavily upon the interplay between aerobic and anaerobic energy systems," researcher Marcus Smith wrote on their Web site, clemburkedrummingproject.com.

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. They won't go so far as to call themselves athletes -- that would hardly be drummer-cool -- but they acknowledge that fitness is a huge factor in performing well.

Drumming builds strength and cardiovascular fitness, says Mike Johnston, owner of the Drum Lab, an instructional business in Carmichael, Calif., and drummer for the punk band Simon Says in the 1990s. But he also says serious drummers -- those touring and doing shows every night -- need to cross-train.

"There's no other instrument that involves moving all four limbs in a chaotic manner like drumming," he says. "You know, rock drummers don't take their shirts off (during shows) to try to get chicks. It's because they're sweating and it's really hot up there."

Johnston, who shoots instructional exercise videos for drummers, says either light weights or non-weight-bearing exercises are needed to build up drummers' arms, shoulders and legs.

"Your forearms swell up and lock up on you," Johnston says. "There are a couple of positions you play in that put your arms in weird positions and make your shoulders really tired. It's like jumping rope, holding your arms up in the air for an hour.

"I'd use extremely light weights and crank the repetitions up; instead of eight to 10 reps, do 150 to 200 reps.

"It's all about building massive amounts of endurance and strength. It's almost more like a Pilates and yoga thing, which tones the muscle and really strengthens it for endurance."