Jing Kang1, Chao Xue1, Adriana Chou2, Austin Scholp2, Ting Gong1, Yi Zhang1, Zhen Chen1, Jack J Jiang3. 1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, EENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 2. Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. 3. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, EENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Electronic address: jjjiang@fudan.edu.cn.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of traditional and physiological warm-up exercises and to determine the optimal duration of these methods using acoustic and aerodynamic metrics. METHODS: Twenty-six subjects were recruited to participate in both straw phonation exercises (physiological vocal warm-up) and traditional singing exercises (traditional vocal warm-up) for 20 minutes each, 24 hours apart. Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were measured before the intervention (m0), as well as after 5 minutes (m5), 10 minutes (m10), 15 minutes (m15), and 20 minutes (m20) of intervention. RESULTS: PTP decreased significantly after straw phonation and reached a minimum value at 10 minutes (P < 0.001) and remained stable in traditional singing exercises. There were significant differences in fundamental frequency and shimmer from m0 to m15 and m20 in the traditional singing group (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). No significant changes in acoustic parameters were observed after straw phonation. CONCLUSIONS: Both straw phonation exercises and traditional singing exercises are effective for voice warm-up. Straw phonation improves the subjects' fatigue resistance and vocal economy, resulting in a reduced PTP, whereas traditional singing exercises focus on technical singing skills, leading to an improvement of acoustic variables.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of traditional and physiological warm-up exercises and to determine the optimal duration of these methods using acoustic and aerodynamic metrics. METHODS: Twenty-six subjects were recruited to participate in both straw phonation exercises (physiological vocal warm-up) and traditional singing exercises (traditional vocal warm-up) for 20 minutes each, 24 hours apart. Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were measured before the intervention (m0), as well as after 5 minutes (m5), 10 minutes (m10), 15 minutes (m15), and 20 minutes (m20) of intervention. RESULTS: PTP decreased significantly after straw phonation and reached a minimum value at 10 minutes (P < 0.001) and remained stable in traditional singing exercises. There were significant differences in fundamental frequency and shimmer from m0 to m15 and m20 in the traditional singing group (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). No significant changes in acoustic parameters were observed after straw phonation. CONCLUSIONS: Both straw phonation exercises and traditional singing exercises are effective for voice warm-up. Straw phonation improves the subjects' fatigue resistance and vocal economy, resulting in a reduced PTP, whereas traditional singing exercises focus on technical singing skills, leading to an improvement of acoustic variables.