Vivo Life Perform Plant Protein Review — Is It Worth It?

Vivo Life Perform is the premium end of the plant protein market — ethically sourced, organic where possible, and priced accordingly. If you're committed to plant-based training nutrition and willing to spend for quality, this is one of the better options available in the UK.

What Is It?

Perform is Vivo Life's flagship protein powder, blending pea protein isolate with organic brown rice protein to create a complete amino acid profile. It's designed specifically for athletes and serious gym-goers, positioned above their entry-level Raw product. All ingredients are certified organic or Rainforest Alliance sourced.

Ingredients & Nutrition

Per 38g serving, you get 25g of protein, 2.5g of fat, and 5g of carbohydrates at 140 calories. The protein blend combines pea isolate and brown rice protein in a ratio designed to complement each other's amino acid shortcomings — pea protein is high in lysine but low in methionine; rice protein addresses this gap.

The formula also includes digestive enzymes (protease and lipase), which is a genuine inclusion that improves bioavailability. Vivo Life uses natural flavourings only — no artificial sweeteners, colours, or preservatives. The result is a noticeably more natural taste profile than most protein powders on the market. BCAAs sit at around 4.5g per serving, with leucine at approximately 2g.

Taste & Mixability

This is where Vivo Life genuinely stands out. The Chocolate Fudge flavour uses raw cacao and tastes like actual chocolate — less sweet and more complex than synthetic chocolate flavourings. Banana Bread is genuinely enjoyable and not artificially banana-ish. The natural sweetener (coconut sugar) gives it a slightly grainier sweetness that most people appreciate once adjusted.

Mixability is good for a plant protein — rice protein can be gritty, but the formulation here mitigates this well with a shaker. Blending produces a smoother result, as with most plant proteins.

Effectiveness

Plant proteins have historically been questioned on bioavailability compared to whey, but the pea and rice combination has been shown in research to achieve comparable muscle protein synthesis rates when leucine thresholds are met. At 2g of leucine per serving, Perform sits at the minimum effective threshold — those training hard may want a slightly larger scoop.

The added digestive enzymes help close the bioavailability gap further, making this a genuinely effective post-workout option for plant-based athletes.

Value for Money

At £39.99 for 1kg (roughly 26 servings), you're paying approximately £1.53 per serving. That's premium territory — more than double MyProtein Vegan Blend. However, you're also getting certified organic ingredients, natural flavourings only, digestive enzymes, and ethical sourcing. For shoppers who prioritise these factors, the premium is defensible.

Verdict

Vivo Life Perform is the plant protein for people who care about what they're putting in their body as much as the macros. The taste is genuinely excellent, the ingredients are clean, and the ethics stack up. It costs twice as much as MyProtein Vegan Blend, and whether that premium is worth it depends entirely on your priorities. For ethical plant-based athletes, it's the clear choice.

Rating: 8/10