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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLD BEVERAGES VERSUS ICE-SLURRY DRINKS ON THE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE OF THAI FUTSAL PLAYERS USING K-MEANS CLUSTERING
Author(s)
Pariyavuth, Pariya
Panurushthanon, Phichayavee
Punthipayanon, Sirichet
Klabchom, Kreethanat
Thongtha, Kaboon
Chottidao, Monchai
Date Issued
January 1, 2025
Type
Article
Abstract
Cooling interventions during futsal halftime breaks show substantial individual variability in physiological responses, yet standardized protocols fail to account for athlete-specific thermal stress susceptibility. This study employed This study used K-means clustering to compare the effectiveness of cold beverages versus ice slurry and to identify distinct physiological response phenotypes for personalized cooling strategy optimization. Ten competitive male futsal players (22.4 ± 2.1 years; 68.5 ± 8.2 kg) completed a randomized crossover design. Following the Futsal Intermittent Shuttle-Run Protocol (FIRP), participants consumed either ice slurry (-1°C) or cold sports beverages (4°C) at 7.5 g/kg body mass during 10-minute recovery. Futsal-specific reactive agility tests (RAG-D, RAG-T), blood lactate, heart rate, urine specific gravity, and perceived exertion were measured. K-means clustering analysis with silhouette validation identified response patterns. Three distinct physiological phenotypes emerged (silhouette coefficient = 0.67). Cluster 1 (High-Response, n=4): elevated blood lactate (>8.0 mmol/L), highest cardiovascular stress, superior ice-slurry response. Cluster 2 (Moderate-Response, n=3): balanced responses to both modalities. Cluster 3 (Low-Response, n=3): conservative responses with maintained performance, preferential ice-slurry benefits. Strong correlations existed between body mass and response magnitude (r = 0.78, p < 0.01). Unsupervised machine learning effectively discerned unique cooling response phenotypes, facilitating evidence-based customization of cooling therapies. This signifies a substantial progression in the accuracy of sports performance enhancement.
Citation
Scientific Culture, 11(4), 86-99, 2025