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Bradie Crandall, a powerlifter with PlantBuilt who uses the social media handle Vegan Hercules, said he saves money by mixing an admittedly "chalky" blend of unflavored pea and rice protein powders, which he buys in bulk.

Crandall said veganism "wasn't even a choice" for him.

"I think there's a lot of people that, once they have the capacity for empathy and knowledge of our food system, they're going to want to go vegan," Crandall said.

Vegan athletes are "under a microscope," Crandall said.

When Crandall tore his meniscus in the lead-up to a recent powerlifting competition, he said people online blamed it on his veganism.