Our Most Frequently Asked Questions

We get asked a lot of different questions about using plant based protein powder so we have collated as many as we can to give you some more information about our product range

Are high protein diets just for bodybuilders?

Endurance athletes and bodybuilders have similar protein requirements, but the way in which the body uses the protein differs. Bodybuilders need protein primarily to increase muscle tissue; endurance athletes need protein primarily to repair existing muscle tissue that is undergoing constant breakdown from regular training.

Other people can benefit from a high protein diet as well, it just all depends on your general dietary intake of protein and the type of exercise you are doing. Everything is relative, meaning you may not need as much as a bodybuilder but you can both benefit from the increase in intake.

Will a high protein diet will cause unwanted weight gain and muscle growth?

This really depends on the type of training you engage in as to whether you gain weight or muscle. High volume endurance training does not produce muscle bulk, regardless of protein intake, whereas relatively low volumes of strength training will. Either way, the muscle tissue requires protein. Additionally, it is the volume of calories you consume - from carbohydrates, protein, or fat - that is the primary factor in weight gain. 

In very simple terms you have to have more calories going out (i.e. “being burned”) during exercise and other activities than you have coming in via your diet to avoid unwanted weight gain.

Are carbohydrates the most important fuel for exercise?

While carbohydrates are indeed the body’s preferred source of fuel, protein plays an important part in the energy and muscle preservation needs. Protein is mainly known for its role in the repair, maintenance, and growth of body tissues, but it also has a role in energy supply. After about 90 minutes of exercise in well-trained athletes, muscle glycogen stores become nearly depleted, and the body will look for alternative fuel sources. Your own muscle tissue becomes a target for a process called gluconeogenesis, which is the synthesis of glucose from the fatty and amino acids of lean muscle tissue. The degree of soreness and stiffness after a long, intense workout is a good indicator of just how much muscle cannibalization you have incurred. Adding protein to your fuel mix provides amino acids and thus reduces tissue cannibalization.

How do I make my protein shake smooth?

CRAYV protein powder products can be used in a protein shake blend which will give you a smooth consistency that doesn’t have lumps or a chalky texture. Our blend has a mix of ingredients that have been especially formulated to produce a very smooth texture because we know how much everyone hates lumpy or rough protein shake mixes.

Why is my protein shake lumpy?

Sometimes your protein shake will be lumpy because it hasn’t been mixed properly so little clumps will form that don’t break down in the liquid you are using. Some protein powders are not very fine and they can easily clump and become lumpy. These are all the typical problems we discovered before we developed CRAYV protein powder products which will give you a smooth consistency that doesn’t have lumps or a chalky texture. Our blend has a mix of ingredients that have been especially formulated to produce a very smooth texture because we know how much everyone hates lumpy or rough protein shake mixes.

What is the best tasting protein powder?

CRAYV protein powder has been designed to not taste delicious,  We know from experience that many people prefer a more flavoursome tasting protein powder mix and that is how we have blended our plant power blends.

What are the symptoms of too much animal sourced protein?

The effects of consuming a high percentage of animal sourced protein will vary depending on the overall balance of your diet, your body type, general health, what is the balance of food consumption vs exercise that you do. It is one of the most debated topics in the world at the moment and there is lots of supporting evidence that shows too much animal sourced protein can create complications with things such as kidney stones or a diet with too much red meat with high saturated fat has been shown to also cause heart disease or even colon cancer. 

Plant based proteins don’t produce these types of outcomes and because they are naturally grown vs mass produced animal farming, you can also consider them to be better for the planet

What is pea protein powder?

Pea protein powder is a supplement made by extracting protein from yellow peas. It's typically used to increase the protein content of smoothies and shakes and is a great fit for almost any diet since it's naturally vegan and hypoallergenic. 

Pea protein is a high-quality protein with all nine essential amino acids (that your body can't create and must get from food) and a great source of iron. We only use organic golden peas in our blends which are naturally low in carbohydrates and fats plus extremely low in allergens. Golden pea protein also has a 5 star health rating due to its impressive and balanced nutritional profile.

What is vegan protein powder?

Vegan protein powder is a product that is made with vegan-friendly ingredients. Made into a powdered form, it contains varying amounts of protein (depending on the flavour, brand, type, etc.). Vegan protein powder can be added to a shake, smoothie or recipe. Many people use vegan protein powder as a simple and convenient way to enjoy protein in their diet. 

CRAYV protein powder is available in either vanilla, choc fudge and strawberry swirl that can easily be incorporated into your diet with their plant based, natural ingredient origin.

Can I use your plant based protein powders as a meal replacement?

How you consume protein will depend on your dietary needs and each individual’s situation will be not only unique but hard to compare with others. Our protein powder products can be added to make a satiating smoothie or a meal that is high in protein. We would recommend a healthy wholefood diet in conjunction with our proteins together with appropriate exercise per day so that you can make the most out of our protein and it's muscle building or fat burning attributes.

Why are our plant based proteins the best vegan proteins in Australia?

Any protein product is the sum of all its parts. CRAYV uses a unique blend of premium ingredients that don’t include items that are artificial, everything is plant based and we ensure every element has maximum nutritional value to suit your body performance goals.

Are our vegan proteins sugar free?

CRAYV products have a small percentage of sugar as indicated on each label. The Vanilla Cupcake, Choc Fudge and Strawberry Swirl protein blends have been specifically developed to have a taste that is full of flavour and having you craving more, unlike like other products available. An average diet does require certain levels of sugar intake to fuel the body and our products contain only naturally occurring sugars - there are none that are added to boost flavour.

Is organic protein powder healthy?

CRAYV range of organic protein powders are healthy because they are plant based organic blends that have been made from 100% natural ingredients. 

What are the benefits of organic protein powder?

 

 

Plant protein tastes better because it is natural

By now you should already know that artificial sweeteners and additives are bad news. Sure there might be many situations where you have no idea what is in the product because it tastes so good, but that is the problem, you can’t really see or understand what those chemicals are doing to your body.

A lot of companies put these artificial sweeteners and additives into their protein powders as a cheap way of making their protein taste better or to appeal to society’s changing palette which is used to sweet & salty levels in our processed foods.

We use high quality natural ingredients and all our products are designed to support your body's natural processes so they don’t have anything artificial

Get your amino acids naturally

Our protein powder is perfectly balanced with a full amino acid profile that can give your body what it needs for  tissue building and repair, while nourishing your body through a speedy muscle recovery process. This full amino-acid profile means you’re getting all the building blocks that come together to form protein within the body.

The human body can not produce these essential amino acids on its own, so our health depends on us consuming other foods that are rich in these protein building blocks. Traditionally we would get this from eating animal based proteins, but you can skip the need to do that and consume the plant based protein yourself with our products instead of from animals grown in a farm. 

Do protein powder shakes make you gain weight?

If a protein shake makes you gain weight will really depend on the portions you consume, what the rest of your dietary intake is and how you exercise or the type of lifestyle you lead. There really isn’t a black and white answer to the question because every individual’s situation will be different and our bodies all work slightly differently. 

If you want to gain weight then a protein powder shake can be used in conjunction with high quality carbohydrates and fats which will be macronutritionally proportioned in a smoothie.

Is it bad to drink two protein shakes a day?

It may or may not be bad to drink two protein shakes a day, it just depends on each individual’s situation, training goals, general health and lifestyle. No two people are the same so there isn’t a simple black and white answer as to how many protein shakes a day are ideal. At the end of the day you have to think about what is the intake you need for your body across all different nutrient sources we need and how does a protein shake fit into that mix?

We generally don’t recommend more than 3 a day, but all of this depends on what else you are consuming & what type of exercise or workout regime you have in place.

Should you have a protein shake with a meal?

Whether you should have a protein shake with your meal depends if you can get a sufficient intake of protein from your food. Depending on what else it is you are eating then having a shake may or may not be a good idea. There are billions of food combinations in the world, so there is no clear answer to this question because it depends what you are eating for that meal, what else you consume that day and even for the week in comparison to your exercise program.

What is the best time to drink a protein shake?

Generally speaking the best time to drink a protein shake is pre or post workout, between meals or as a dessert after dinner. 

Can you lose weight by replacing two meals with protein shakes?

It is possible to lose weight by replacing meals with a protein shake, but you have to be careful that you may then become micro nutritionally deficient if you did this over a long period of time because of the balance of what you are consuming is changing.

Can I use your protein powder as a meal replacement?

Yes, you can add a scoop or two of protein powder (depending on your dietary requirements) with some fruit, your choice of water or milk and some nuts, nut butter or another quality source of healthy fat to make up a macro friendly meal.   

Do I need protein powder to lose weight?

A high protein diet is recommended to promote satiety and muscle recovery so the amount of protein you consume depends on your daily activities. Apart from developing the CRAYV range, I can provide assistance with coaching to help reach your goals.

Are protein powders safe?

CRAYV protein powder is safe to consume if you follow the suggested directions for use and it forms part of a balanced diet. Our products are made from 100% natural ingredients.

Are your products vegan?

The CRAYV range of products are vegan and we don’t use any animal products.

Do your products contain gluten or dairy?

CRAYV products only use premium ingredients that are gluten and dairy free. 

Do your products contain any GMO’s or any artificial ingredients?

No, our products are 100% natural, the way nature intended.  

Are your products organic?

Our products use organic ingredients where they are available. In the case with our current blends, we use;

• organic pea protein
• organic hemp protein

Where are your products produced?

All our products are made in Australia using a carefully selected mix of premium local and imported ingredients. CRAYV works with a local Australian naturopath to ensure the blends created are to an exact specification and ingredient mix to meet our high quality standards.

Are your products safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Whilst our protein is all natural and made from plant sourced ingredients, we recommend you speak to your doctor, GP, naturopath or any other physician you can seek medical advice from and consult with them to whether these products are suitable for you. Each person has personal requirements.  

Are your products safe for children under 15?

The warnings on the packaging are a mandatory Australian labelling requirement for all supplementary sports food. Individuals and parents are responsible for what their children consume, the warnings are to make sure attention is paid to ingredients. It is advisable to seek professional physicians’ advice regarding your children’s individual needs.  

Is it true that older athletes benefit from increased protein intake

There is growing evidence that support the idea that older adults (50+) can benefit from increased protein intake. 

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is .8 g/kg (about .5g/pound), and increases to 1.2-1.6 g/kg for endurance athletes. 

For Masters age endurance athletes, recommended daily protein intake increases to 1.6-1.8 g/kg. (Desbrow, 2019) 

Athletes proactively working to gain muscle mass, and athletes in high-power, high-intensity training (e.g. sprinting) may benefit from consuming up to 2g/kg/day, but there is little evidence that consuming above 2g/kg/day adds much additional benefit.

As athletes get older, maintaining muscle mass becomes more of a challenge. In a small 2016 study by Doering et al, older triathletes (avg 53 years old) and younger triathletes (avg 27 years old) were fed the same controlled diet and endured the same high-intensity downhill running workouts for three days. They consumed 20g of isolated protein immediately after the workouts and their controlled diet provided 1.6g/kg of protein per day. Researchers found that, despite protein intake 2x the RDA, the older triathletes had significantly lower muscle protein synthesis compared to the younger triathletes.

The Doering study represents a very high training load (3 days with deliberately muscle-damaging workouts), but it suggests older athletes would most likely benefit from protein consumption at the higher end of the range (1.6-2.0g/kg/day). (trainright.com)

When will my order be delivered once I purchase?

Orders placed before midday (AEST) will be shipped same day though will depend on destination will take:

ACT/NSW/QLD: 1-5 Business days 

VIC/SA 2-6 Business days 

NT/TAS/WA 2-8 Business days 

Do CRAYV supply retailers, bulk or wholesale orders?

Yes, please send an email to hello@youcrayv.com.au