cellocoffee Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2004 Posts: 195 Location: Austin, TX & Taiwan Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Expobar Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: think espresso Drip: think espresso Roaster: not yet
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 3:27am Subject: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
Hi CG members, Not a very coffee-related question, but I wonder if you can enjoy an espresso when you have a sore throat? Do you still taste a cappucino when you have a cold?
hamm Senior Member Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 527 Location: Kettering, Ohio Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Alex Duetto (1st gen) Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: I'm not that kind of guy... Drip: From the faucet occasionally Roaster: I buy from several
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 7:55am Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
I teach music for a living and everything I've ever read points to no, but I don't think that's entirely true.
If you are a trained opera singer whos voice must overpower an entire orchestra without amplification, you are probably already avoiding coffee in any form. Caffeine can constrict the blood vessels in the throat which make it harder for you to "heal" so to speak.
When a person sings or speaks, the vocal cords have to vibrate and the caffeine can also cause extra tension in there where it's supposed to be relaxed. Alcohol, tobacco and caffeine are the worst substances for a human larnyx, but of those, caffeine is the least dangerous. A lot of hard rock singers drink, smoke, and chug coffee in order to get that gritty, edgy vocal style that makes their music, well, gritty and edgy.
Now I'm no opera singer, but I can tell that If I've had espresso in the morning, I need to flush down a couple glasses of water in order to prime my voice to teach a choir rehearsal.
But guess what? Cold water isn't great for your voice either. Think cold=tight, like an ice cube vs. liquid water. They say the best thing to drink is lukewarm water, but I can't stand to do that. Warm liquid feels really good on the throat, so if you want to drink espresso with a cold, why not? The only thing is, make sure you drink a big glass of water with it, even though there isn't as much caffeine in espresso as there is in drip coffee.
Coffee drinks, especially if you have milk or cream in them can cause yout throat to produce excess mucous, and with a cold that isn't a good idea because you're primary objective becomes getting rid of all that junk that makes you feel like crap.
I've found that whenever I have a cold, I like warm tea with honey in it the best.
But in the end, it's all up to you. Try the espresso and see what happens. You probably won't notice how the caffeine affects your voice unless you work in broadcasting or you are a professional singer. But the warm liquid might soothe your throat a little bit. But to err on the side of caution, you'd probably enjoy the espresso better if you waited until your condition cleared up.
Wow, that was a lot of writing to basically say almost nothing. Post back if this is of any help, and if not, post some more questions and I'll see if I can be of any other help.
nickcho Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2002 Posts: 435 Location: Redwood City, CA Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: this Grinder: that Vac Pot: yes Drip: drop Roaster: Trish!
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 8:00am Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
hamm Said:
I teach music for a living and everything I've ever read points to no, but I don't think that's entirely true.
If you are a trained opera singer whos voice must overpower an entire orchestra without amplification, you are probably already avoiding coffee in any form. Caffeine can constrict the blood vessels in the throat which make it harder for you to "heal" so to speak.
Hamm, you might find it interesting that one of my regular customers is a graduate student at Georgetown University, and she's writing her thesis on the effects of caffeine on voice... basically, challenging the "conventional wisdom" that caffeine is bad for singers.
Stay tuned... I'll let y'all know what her results are.
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 8:09am Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
I normally get a sore throat 1-2 times a year & I can only slightly taste the coffee. I like drinking it because the warmth soothes my throat but I do take this time to use up any skunky coffee that someone may have given me. ;-) (Which is also good since I normally don't feel up to roasting, either!)
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 10:41am Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
Hi Hamm... The conventional approach for singers is radical for sure. My degree was in Music Ed as well (elementary and secondary - vocal and instrumental), and I used to watch the 'antics' that other singers would go through at music competitions.
No milk...suck on a lemon...hot lemon water...no water...warm water...salt water...soda water...no coffee...no caffeine... etc. About junior year of high school I decided to ignore all of that and just sing. I figured I didn't have to warm my voice up in the morning to talk, so I didn't need to warm up a lot to sing either.
It has been working for about 40 years now. I can sing morning, noon or night, with or without coffee, drinking soda or water, hot or cold bevs. In fact, we drag coffee into the studio all day long.
Maybe I just have good genetics (or a really bad ear).
As changing weather fronts would have it, sinus problems and throat draining today, the quad Americano was amazing, and the double shots were full flavored and not bitter.
When I have sore throats and colds, I drink even more coffee and other liquids.
Coach Senior Member Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Ohio Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Saeco Vienna Deluxe
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 4:06pm Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
I'll really don't have any opinion on coffee & sore throats but STAY AWAY from ANY DARIY when you have a sore throat. So Lattes would be a major no no. That is like drinking elmers glue. I would say if you can enjoy it why not.
Usually sore throats are a result of build of toxins in the system not because you "caught it" or "the cold weather".
Think about when you usually get sore throats. Most often is after the holidays because everyone overloads on food too much food and combining that with deserts, cookies, candy.
After Thanksgiving your body is not use to all the food & just as it starts to recover you have Christmas and recovery is pushed back more. Don't forget to add the holiday stress. Then 6 days after Christmas on New Years you over load on alcohol. Finally your body goes wacko about 2-4 weeks after this and it is blamed on a chiness flu everyone is catching. Eat healthy during the holidays and don't go crazy on junk food and you will notice a difference. (stepping down from soapbox)
Coach "Its kind of fun to do the impossible" -Walt Disney
nickcho Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2002 Posts: 435 Location: Redwood City, CA Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: this Grinder: that Vac Pot: yes Drip: drop Roaster: Trish!
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 5:23pm Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
I talked to the grad student today (she happened to come in), and she told me that she successfully defended her thesis with whoever it is you do that with at Georgetown U.
I asked her what her general conclusion was, and she told me that through her research, her conclusion is that caffeine actually makes people sing better, not worse.
She told me that I could share her data later when she's finished with her final draft.
cellocoffee Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2004 Posts: 195 Location: Austin, TX & Taiwan Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Expobar Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: think espresso Drip: think espresso Roaster: not yet
Posted Wed Apr 28, 2004, 7:29pm Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
Thanks, CG members, It's fun to see you guys's ideas. I guess I will enjoy coffee as much as I can since I am going to Seattle. Hey, Hamm, I didn't know you are a music teacher. I teach cello at home. My students age from 4 to college age. cheers, cellocoffee
hamm Senior Member Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 527 Location: Kettering, Ohio Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Alex Duetto (1st gen) Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: I'm not that kind of guy... Drip: From the faucet occasionally Roaster: I buy from several
Posted Thu Apr 29, 2004, 4:52am Subject: Re: Enjoy coffee with a sore throat, or can you?
nickcho Said:
I talked to the grad student today (she happened to come in), and she told me that she successfully defended her thesis with whoever it is you do that with at Georgetown U.
I asked her what her general conclusion was, and she told me that through her research, her conclusion is that caffeine actually makes people sing better, not worse.
She told me that I could share her data later when she's finished with her final draft.
I'm not a vocal musician by trade (actually a drummer, first) but in teaching singing to elementary kids, I've found that my voice isn't overly affected by the morning coffee. In my exp. it seems as if drinking water along with whatever else I'm drinking does the trick. My instinct tells me that trained vocalists probably won't be affected by caffeine all that much if they are singing properly in the first place. Looks like your friend has got that one in the bag!
My thing is that despite the fact that I'm doing my best "textbook" singing voice with the kids, I'm still concerned that I might be doing serious damage to my voice if I'm not doing it just right. And the coffee on top of that makes me wonder...
But I'd have to say that based solely on what I've experienced, your friend is right.
Larry, I agree with you 100%. More people who can't sing could sing if they'd just do it. Heck, one of my favorite bands, U2, is fronted by a fantastic singer who has partaken in the substances that are traditionally detrimental.
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