Miklashevska Y. Consumer properties of gel-like food products for athletes

The thesis is devoted to solving the problem of diet correction in order to compensate physiological expenditures of athletes who train for endurance. With a glance at dietary peculiarities, metabolic changes and their consequences, occurring as a result of athletes intensive exercises, criteria were formulated and the mathematical models of gel-like food products compositions' optimization were developed. This enabled a product with predictable organoleptic and physicochemical properties as well as specified nutritional value and safety to be created. A series of experiments to confirm the expediency of using pectin and xanthan gum in stabilization of structural and mechanical properties of gel-like food products was carried out. Functional efficiency of gel-like products that exhibited in improving of physical performance and helps to speed up the flow of restorative processes in the athlete's body after long-term physical and psycho-emotional stress was proved. The regularities of changes in the organoleptic, physicochemical, and microbiological indicators of gel-like products depending on the type of packaging, conditions and duration of storage were studied.