Effect of Weight Lifting on Electroglottography

Nam, Soon Yuhl; Park, Seon Tae

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
As a technique to assess vocal function, electroglottography (EGG) has become popular among clinicians and researchers. Because it is fairly simple and non-invasive, EGG is easily adopted for routine clinical use. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of weight lifting on the tension of laryngeal adductory muscles and electroglottography.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The normal control group was composed of 10 healthy males and 10 healthy females who do have voice disorder. The disease group was composed of 10 male and 10 female patients who have vocal polyp or nodule. Electroglottography taken during comfortable phonation was compared with that taken during phonation produced when the subjects were lifting a weight of 15 kg.
RESULTS
The closed quotient of electroglottography in the normal male and female groups were 0.46+/-0.04 and 0.46+/-0.05, respectively. The closed quotient in the male and female patients were 0.47+/-0.05 and 0.50+/-0.05, respectively. The closed quotient of electroglottography was not different between the comfortable voice and the voice during weight lifting. The exception was the normal male control group, but the actual effect of weight lifting in this group was not so significant, compared to the effect of increasing vocal intensity.
CONCLUSION
Weight lifting does not produce significant short-term effects on laryngeal muscle tension and on the closed quotient of electroglottography.