The Why of Water

“Stay hydrated!” I know…EVERYONE tells you this. Your doctor, your mother, your personal trainer, and now your voice coach. Seriously, it is at the top of so many lists for a reason, my friends. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and if you don’t replenish that water consistently, things can really start to wear out quickly. Not even looking at it from a strictly vocal perspective, think of your body as a machine. Machines need lubrication - oil - to run properly. If they don’t have that oil, the parts start to get hot from rubbing together without lubrication, you get friction where you don’t want friction, and that creates a breakdown in the machinery. Our bodies are similar (and oh so much more important) - the ultimate machine. This friction metaphor works PERFECTLY for the vocal folds (vocal cords). When our vocal folds are not properly hydrated (lubricated), the thin layer of mucosa that covers them is affected by this. It begins to dry out and become sticky, rather than moist and slick.

(This picture is a SUPER basic breakdown of the anatomy of the vocal fold, but picture it like this)

When you drink water, your body hydrates all essential organs first: brain, heart, other essential organs…the vocal folds are pretty low on the list. After all of these life-giving organs, the water you consume will FINALLY hydrate things like your skin and vocal folds. This means that switching from coffee, energy drinks, or sodas to drinking a whole bunch of water the day of your big audition is not going to do a whole lot for keeping those vocal folds hydrated. It may hydrate your brain and increase your alertness and physical wakefulness, but it’s not going to do much for keeping your mucosa nice and slick.