Can’t seem to find this answer anywhere on the net. If I wanted to drink electrolytes, while fasting… but I need to keep the water hot (sick, bad throat)… would I be destroying the minerals and electrolytes by adding boiled water?
No, not at all. Electrolytes are called that because when they dissolve in water the slit into ions. For instance, sodium chloride splits into one positively charged sodium ion and one negatively charged chlorine ion. This makes the water more conductive, hence “Electrolytes.”
When you heat water, there is nothing for the ions to turn into or react with. They cannot evaporate because they are so strongly charged they are surrounded by liquid water due to the polarity of water molecules. When water is removed, the sodium and chlorine will re-combine and make salt again. But as long as they have enough liquid water they will stay dissolved. In fact, heat makes them stay in water even better.
The only compounds that will be damaged when heating water would be stuff like proteins, some vitamins, amino acids, and other covalent compounds. Electrolytes will be just fine.
As a side question. Since the supplements are so overpriced for so small percentage of electrolytes, is there any other options for making your own electrolyte pills? I remember reading in the sub not to as it could burn your stomach, but literally the though of choking down flavoured salt water makes me want to puke.