THE DIET OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN SPORTS AT THE AGE OF 40 YEARS AND OLDER

The purpose of the study: to analyze the nutritional characteristics of people aged 40 years and older who are engaged in sports (athletics, participation in competitions at distances of 10 km or more). Materials and methods. Nutrition characteristics were studied based on information obtained from a survey of amateur athletes aged 40 years and older competing in track and field events at distances of 10 kilometers or more. In total, 1800 questionnaires were distributed, 1649 completed questionnaires were collected. The following food characteristics were taken into account: the presence or absence of adherence to any diet, the frequency of meals, the regularity of meals, the nature of the food, the significance of the quality of the food consumed, as well as the presence of the fact of eating flour, sweet. The analysis was carried out in three age groups: 40–49 years, 50–59 years and 60 years and older. Results. According to this study, the desire to eat exclusively healthy food with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, the commitment to diet, the desire to control the quality of food in the group of veteran athletes does not increase, but decreases. People who are engaged in sports, aged 40 years and older, try to eat often and at the same time. In men, with increasing age, the number of people who want to take the largest amount of food for breakfast decreases, while in women, the opposite trend is observed. The commitment to snacks is more characteristic of women than men. The majority of respondents involved in sports, aged 40 years and older, do not deny themselves frequent use of sweet and flour products and with age this desire increases.