Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking

Introduction Participating in singing is considered to have a range of social and psychological benefits. However, the physiological demands of singing and its intensity as a physical activity are not well understood.Methods We compared cardiorespiratory parameters while completing components of Sin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Michael I Polkey, Daisy Fancourt, Adam Lewis, Nicholas S Hopkinson, Keir EJ Philip, Sara C Buttery, Colm McCabe, Bishman Manivannan, Christopher M Orton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-01-01
Series:BMJ Open Respiratory Research
Online Access:https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000959.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846159100456468480
author Michael I Polkey
Daisy Fancourt
Adam Lewis
Nicholas S Hopkinson
Keir EJ Philip
Sara C Buttery
Colm McCabe
Bishman Manivannan
Christopher M Orton
author_facet Michael I Polkey
Daisy Fancourt
Adam Lewis
Nicholas S Hopkinson
Keir EJ Philip
Sara C Buttery
Colm McCabe
Bishman Manivannan
Christopher M Orton
author_sort Michael I Polkey
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Participating in singing is considered to have a range of social and psychological benefits. However, the physiological demands of singing and its intensity as a physical activity are not well understood.Methods We compared cardiorespiratory parameters while completing components of Singing for Lung Health sessions, with treadmill walking at differing speeds (2, 4 and 6 km/hour).Results Eight healthy adults were included, none of whom reported regular participation in formal singing activities. Singing induced acute physiological responses that were consistent with moderate intensity activity (metabolic equivalents: median 4.12, IQR 2.72–4.78), with oxygen consumption, heart rate and volume per breath above those seen walking at 4 km/hour. Minute ventilation was higher during singing (median 22.42 L/min, IQR 16.83–30.54) than at rest (11 L/min, 9–13), lower than 6 km/hour walking (30.35 L/min, 26.94–41.11), but not statistically different from 2 km/hour (18.77 L/min, 16.89–21.35) or 4 km/hour (23.27 L/min, 20.09–26.37) walking.Conclusions Our findings suggest the acute metabolic demands of singing are comparable with walking at a moderately brisk pace, hence, physical effects may contribute to the health and well-being benefits attributed to singing participation. However, if physical training benefits result remains uncertain. Further research including different singing styles, singers and physical performance impacts when used as a training modality is encouraged.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT04121351).
format Article
id doaj-art-562f4e2843d144cf9a2a0650e6a3ecbb
institution Kabale University
issn 2052-4439
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open Respiratory Research
spelling doaj-art-562f4e2843d144cf9a2a0650e6a3ecbb2024-11-24T00:45:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Respiratory Research2052-44392021-01-018110.1136/bmjresp-2021-000959Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walkingMichael I Polkey0Daisy Fancourt1Adam Lewis2Nicholas S Hopkinson3Keir EJ Philip4Sara C Buttery5Colm McCabe6Bishman Manivannan7Christopher M Orton8National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK4 Department of Health Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UKNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK3 National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK; and NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK1 National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UKNational Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UKNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK1 National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UKIntroduction Participating in singing is considered to have a range of social and psychological benefits. However, the physiological demands of singing and its intensity as a physical activity are not well understood.Methods We compared cardiorespiratory parameters while completing components of Singing for Lung Health sessions, with treadmill walking at differing speeds (2, 4 and 6 km/hour).Results Eight healthy adults were included, none of whom reported regular participation in formal singing activities. Singing induced acute physiological responses that were consistent with moderate intensity activity (metabolic equivalents: median 4.12, IQR 2.72–4.78), with oxygen consumption, heart rate and volume per breath above those seen walking at 4 km/hour. Minute ventilation was higher during singing (median 22.42 L/min, IQR 16.83–30.54) than at rest (11 L/min, 9–13), lower than 6 km/hour walking (30.35 L/min, 26.94–41.11), but not statistically different from 2 km/hour (18.77 L/min, 16.89–21.35) or 4 km/hour (23.27 L/min, 20.09–26.37) walking.Conclusions Our findings suggest the acute metabolic demands of singing are comparable with walking at a moderately brisk pace, hence, physical effects may contribute to the health and well-being benefits attributed to singing participation. However, if physical training benefits result remains uncertain. Further research including different singing styles, singers and physical performance impacts when used as a training modality is encouraged.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT04121351).https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000959.full
spellingShingle Michael I Polkey
Daisy Fancourt
Adam Lewis
Nicholas S Hopkinson
Keir EJ Philip
Sara C Buttery
Colm McCabe
Bishman Manivannan
Christopher M Orton
Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
BMJ Open Respiratory Research
title Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
title_full Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
title_fullStr Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
title_full_unstemmed Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
title_short Physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
title_sort physiological demands of singing for lung health compared with treadmill walking
url https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000959.full
work_keys_str_mv AT michaelipolkey physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT daisyfancourt physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT adamlewis physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT nicholasshopkinson physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT keirejphilip physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT saracbuttery physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT colmmccabe physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT bishmanmanivannan physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking
AT christophermorton physiologicaldemandsofsingingforlunghealthcomparedwithtreadmillwalking