Investigating the Immediate Voice Changes via Perceptual and Acoustic Methods Among Normophonic Swimming Coaches
Journal of Voice, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.05.047
- Journal Name: Journal of Voice
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, CINAHL, Communication Abstracts, EMBASE, International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance (IBTD), MEDLINE, Music Index, Music Periodicals Database, EBSCO Communication Source, Communication Source (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Music & Performing Arts Collection (ProQuest)
- Keywords: Acoustical analysis, Perceptual analysis, Professional voice, Swimming coach and voice, Vocal load, Voice disorders
- Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Objective: This research aimed to investigate perceptual and acoustic changes in voice quality due to occupational voice use among swimming coaches with healthy voices. Methods and procedures: In this study, 52 swimming coaches were evaluated, and 35 were included, all of whom were determined to have healthy voices by videolaryngoscopy (VLS) and auditory-perceptual assessment. Then, eligible participants assessed both perceptually and acoustically before and after the swimming training sessions on their most intensive working days, at the Ministry of Sports’ semi-Olympic swimming pools. The voice samples were gathered according to the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice Turkish protocol (CAPE-V/Turkish). Acoustic analysis was performed using the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) and Analysis of Dysphonia Speech and Voice (ADSV) software. A comparison was conducted between pre-and post-swimming training session measurements for sustained vowel /a/ and sentence weighted with all-voiced phonemes and a connected speech sample. Perceptual assessment was conducted using the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS). Results: When the subscales of VTDS were assessed; the scores for “Burning” (P = 0.012), “Tight” (P = 0.021), “Dry” (P = 0.021), “Aching” (P = 0.021), “Irritable” (P = 0.008), “Lump in the throat” (P = 0.013) were significantly increased after the swimming training sessions. No statistically significant differences were found in the acoustic analysis parameters following the Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons (P > 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, swimming coaches developed symptoms of vocal tract discomfort associated with occupational voice use. The findings suggest that a single day of intensive swimming training sessions results in increased vocal effort among swimming coaches. Future research could focus on real-time measurement of vocal load in swimming coaches using tools such as vocal dosimeters, its relationship to acoustic and perceptual parameters, and long-term changes in voice quality.