Vocal Fatigue: Why Your Voice Feels Tired & How to Fix It

Ever felt like you just can’t sing or speak another word? That frustrating tired, strained feeling in your voice is called vocal fatigue—and it happens to singers, teachers, and professional voice users alike. But what’s really going on when your voice feels exhausted?

In this episode of The Voice Science Podcast, we’re breaking down:

✅ What vocal fatigue really is (Hint: It’s NOT your vocal folds wearing out!)

✅ The hidden muscles that contribute to vocal fatigue

✅ Why dehydration makes vocal fatigue worse

✅ How long it actually takes for your voice to recover (and why rest is crucial)

✅ 5 science-backed strategies to prevent and recover from vocal fatigue

🎧 Listen now and learn how to keep your voice healthy, strong, and resilient!

How to Prevent & Recover from Vocal Fatigue

🗣️ Reduce Vocal Dosage – Your vocal folds slam together thousands of times per second when you speak or sing. Reducing excessive strain can help.

💧 Stay Hydrated – Studies show hydration doubles vocal endurance!

⏳ Allow Recovery Time – Your vocal folds recover 90% within a few hours, but full recovery takes up to 72 hours.

🎶 Increase Brightness in Speech – Using Ring & Twang (covered in Episode 4!) helps reduce vocal effort.

🔊 Raise Your Speaking Pitch Slightly – Speaking too low increases strain and makes you work harder to be heard.

Resources & Next Steps:

🚀 Want step-by-step vocal training? VoSci Academy is launching soon! Get on the waiting list now: voicescience.org

📩 Have questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out at voicescience.org/contact/

💡 If this episode helped you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your fellow singers and voice users!