Voice Production during a Weightlifting and Support Task

Abstract

Although effort closure techniques have a long history in the treatment of hypofunctional and psychogenic voice disorders, there have been surprisingly few studies of their specific laryngeal and phonatory effects. The present study was designed to provide preliminary data on physiologic changes in voice production associated with a weightlifting and support maneuver. Twenty vocally healthy subjects (10 men and 10 women) lifted hand-held weights and steadily supported them with outstretched arms as they either sustained comfortable phonation or repeated the syllable /pi/. Both the male and female subjects showed an increase in the electroglottographic contact quotient, long-term F₀ variability, and estimated laryngeal airway resistance attributable to an elevated driving pressure. Conversely, there were no significant changes in mean F₀, pitch perturbation quotient (jitter), or phonatory airflow between the pre-lift and lift portions of their voice production, regardless of the amount of weight supported. The results of this study indicate that simultaneous phonation and weightlifting is associated with increased laryngeal airway resistance characterized by an elevation in driving pressure and medial compression of the vocal folds. Implications for an improved understanding of normal vocal physiology and for the therapeutic use of such air-trapping exercises are addressed.