milk products cause mucus.do whey protein powder also cause mucus?

musicalman

do whey protein powder cause mucus?

RandyB

Milk products don’t cause mucus and neither will whey. That’s a myth that has persisted among singers, but it’s not true.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16373954/

Wigs

I dont know about the science of what causes mucus, but any dairy product I drink before singing has a negative effect, its like there is a residual coating.

reallylongnickname

Not to hijack this thread, but I have related Q. If someone doesn't wanna give up dairy, is there an alternative? Such as say, eat dairy at one part of the day, and do singing at the other end of day.

Klaus_T

@reallylongnickname
not sure but seems to make sense. seems better than just before singing. also, reducing vs. quitting could be an idea

NeilKenSinger

RandyB said:

Milk products don’t cause mucus and neither will whey. That’s a myth that has persisted among singers, but it’s not true.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16373954/

NOT true what you're saying. Dairy products DO cause mucus in the throat and DO make it harder to sing, especially on higher notes. Ken talks about this numerous time in his KTVA courses and on his Youtube channel.

RandyB

@NeilKenSinger I’m quite aware of anecdotal evidence linking dairy products to increased mucus production. But I’m also aware these claims have been tested scientifically and the scientific findings don’t match the anecdotal reports. Perhaps more research needs to be done.

RandyB

@NeilKenSinger https://www.livescience.com/amp/63517-milk-does-not-create-mucus.html

RandyB

@NeilKenSinger https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/science/21qna.html

NeilKenSinger

RandyB said:

@NeilKenSinger I’m quite aware of anecdotal evidence linking dairy products to increased mucus production. But I’m also aware these claims have been tested scientifically and the scientific findings don’t match the anecdotal reports. Perhaps more research needs to be done.

Fact is, consuming dairy DOES make it harder to sing especially high notes. I noticed since I cut out dairy, my voice has opened up and it's much easier to sing clearly. Whether it's mucus or not, there's SOMETHING about dairy that makes it harder to sing.

bentk

There could be something going on with dairy, and similar products. However, I wouldn't know for sure what that is.

If you actually look at the article that RandyB posted (not just the abstract) there are some interesting things to be seen. Personally I don't think it's all amazing evidence, but there is some stuff in there of interest. There was a study included about 'believers' in the dairy-mucus 'theory' and 'non-believers'. There are some striking differences to be seen, but sample size and questionnaire-type study is not ideal.

The note on the Blumberger et al. study is also interesting about hot and cold milk, and hot and cold water. I encourage you to read through it if you wish to know more about this topic.

I just picked a few things because it's important to have a deeper look and to make this a fruitful discussion. I have read a lot of scientific literature myself, so I know the value of it. This should not be a 'yes it does- no it doesn't' thing. That is not a discussion. Just posting links is also not a discussion and in the end not helpful.

I have quite some mucus in general (which can inhibit my singing), and keep my house at a healthy humidity level and drink enough. Especially when I know I will be singing.

Marty7Wizard

I just drank a whey protein shake. I now have mucus. So...for me, yes, whey produces mucus. I am going to try a plant based protein.

tsterle

I read once a long time ago that it was the casein, not the whey, in dairy that primarily causes the mucus. Both are types of proteins. I drink 2 whey protein shakes a day but have not had milk in 25 years and I have no mucus to speak of. Of course like anything else it could vary with individuals. Staying hydrated will thin whatever mucus you have and make it less likely to interfere.