Description
INTRODUCTIONSystemic laryngeal hydration offers benefits in optimizing vocal efficiency, characterized by improvements in acoustic parameters such as shimmer, jitter, maximum fundamental frequency, and phonation time [1]. Although scientific evidence addresses the effects of laryngeal hydration on the voice, there is currently no direct relationship between temperature as a predictive variable and its effect on the acoustic parameters of the voice and/or the generation of vocal signs and symptoms. However, cold stimuli increase pharyngeal and laryngeal sensitivity in dysphagia rehabilitation processes [2,3,4]. Therefore, given the lack of sufficient evidence, the objective is to analyze the thermal effect of cold beverages on voice quality and short-term somatosensory and auditory signs and symptoms related to the voice.
METHOD
Eighteen participants took part in this pre- and post-test experimental study. Eligible participants were adults over the age of 18 who were non-smokers with no history of voice disorders or vocal symptoms and/or changes in voice quality on the day of data collection. Participants with swallowing disorders, a cold, or allergic rhinitis were excluded. Participants completed the Vocal Symptoms Scale (VSS). Participants drank 200 ml of cold water, taken from a water filter at a temperature of 10°C. All participants, both before and 10 minutes after consuming the cold drink, completed an assessment tool that uses a Visual Analog Scale to evaluate the presence of 16 somatosensory and auditory vocal signs and symptoms related to the voice in the short term. Additionally, a recording was made in a soundproof booth with ambient noise below 30 dB (measured using a sound level meter) of the prolonged utterance of the vowel /a/, verifying that it was at the participant’s usual fundamental frequency and with a voice intensity of approximately 65 dB. A Tascam DR-40X recorder was used, with microphones positioned 10 cm from the participant’s oral cavity. The recording was made in monaural format and saved in .WAV format for subsequent analysis of the voice’s acoustic parameters using the Praat program [5]. Descriptive and comparative statistical analysis was performed using the Student’s t-test for the quantitative variables: acoustic parameters and vocal symptoms and signs, stratified by sex, using the statistical analysis software Jamovi version 2.6.
RESULTS
Twelve women and six men participated, all without vocal symptoms. A comparison of vocal acoustic parameters (mean fundamental frequency, minimum and maximum fundamental frequency, jitter%, shimmer%, harmonic-to-noise ratio, and harmonic noise) was conducted before and after drinking cold water for 10 minutes. A reduction in Jitter% was identified in women (p-value 0.01), which is related to less cycle-to-cycle variation in F0, resulting in better voice quality and control of the vocal folds during vibration for females [6]. No differences were identified for the remaining parameters evaluated before and after cold water consumption. Regarding short-term somatosensory and auditory vocal signs and symptoms related to the voice, only an increase in the need to clear the throat (p-value <0.001) was observed 10 minutes after drinking water [7,8].
CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that, for the study group, the consumption of cold beverages did not result in a significant difference in the acoustic parameters of the voice in either men or women. With regard to short-term somatosensory and auditory vocal signs and symptoms related to the voice, it was observed that some participants felt the need to clear their throats after the test. These results may help dispel the myth that consuming cold beverages has negative effects on voice quality. However, further research is recommended to investigate the impact of cold beverages on voice quality and self-perception of the voice.
| Period | Nov 15 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Vocoly Immersion Summit : La ciencia y el arte de la voz en un solo lugar |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 2 |
| Location | Bogota, ColombiaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |