MUNCIE, Ind. - When it comes to selling water-based sports drinks to a fitness-crazed society, the result is more about marketing than improving athletic performance, says a Ball State University researcher.

Various brands of flavored sports fitness water are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but most products contain too little of important supplements to be effective, said Katherine Beals, associate professor of nutrition.

"Americans are simply water crazy and the soft drink companies are trying to tap into that growing market," she said. "Unfortunately, fitness water is often no better than water out of the tap."

It sounds good to say water contains vitamins like C and E, but the amounts of these nutrients are so small that a person is better off eating an orange slice or a handful of sunflower seeds after a workout, said Beals, who is also a competitive triathlete.

"I think the main reason people buy fitness water is because of the taste," she said. "People claim that they don't like the taste of plain water. If taste is an issue, try adding a slice of lemon to your water."

Americans are drinking bottled water in record numbers with about five billion gallons sold in 2001, according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), an industry trade group.

Rapid growth in the industry for more than a decade has placed bottled water in nearly every supermarket, convenience store and vending machine from coast to coast, where dozens of brands compete for consumers' dollars. In four years, industry experts anticipate bottled water will be second only to soda pop as America's beverage of choice.

Beals agrees that the fitness water trend will expand as soft drink companies continue to roll out new flavors to reach a more fitness-oriented culture.

"For example, a few years ago we started seeing sports bars hitting the gyms and now every candy company has a version," she said. "They often contain no more nutritional value than a piece of fruit or a bagel, but are significantly more expensive."

"However, the bottles are a very convenient way to carry your water around. I usually grab an empty one, fill it with tap water and then put it into the fridge. It is fast and easy. Plus, it's cheaper"

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Beals at kbeals@bsu.eduor (765) 286-5931.)