Athletic Greens, now widely known as AG1, is a popular foundational nutrition supplement sold as a greens powder designed to simplify daily nutrient intake. It is marketed as an all-in-one blend intended to replace multiple supplements, such as a multivitamin, probiotic, and antioxidant mix. Many users combine this foundational powder with targeted ingredients like collagen. This prompts the question of whether collagen is already an active component within the AG1 formula. This article clarifies AG1’s ingredient profile concerning collagen and provides context on the separate roles of both supplements.
Is Collagen an Ingredient in AG1?
Collagen is not listed among AG1’s approximately 75 ingredients. AG1 is formulated primarily as a comprehensive greens powder focused on providing vitamins, minerals, whole-food-sourced nutrients, and compounds that support gut health. Its focus is on foundational daily nutrition, not on high-dose structural proteins.
Collagen is a protein derived almost exclusively from animal sources, such as bovine hides or marine fish. The dosage required for targeted benefits for skin and joints is substantial, typically ranging from 10 to 20 grams per serving. Incorporating this high amount into a single scoop of AG1 would be physically impractical and change the nature of the greens powder.
The current formulation of AG1 is designed to be vegan-friendly, excluding all animal-derived ingredients, including collagen. While AG1 does not contain collagen, it does include co-factors necessary for the body’s natural collagen production, such as a high concentration of Vitamin C and Zinc.
Core Ingredient Categories in Athletic Greens
AG1’s ingredient profile is organized into four main functional categories designed to address various aspects of health:
- Raw Superfood Complex: Features nutrient-dense plant ingredients like organic spirulina, organic chlorella, and organic wheatgrass juice powder, providing a dense source of phytonutrients and antioxidants.
- Nutrient and Vitamin Complex: Delivers a broad spectrum of essential micronutrients in highly bioavailable forms. This complex aims to fill nutritional gaps and allows AG1 to serve as a comprehensive multivitamin.
- Digestive Support Complex: Includes both prebiotics and probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, totaling 7.2 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) per serving to support the gut microbiome.
- Nutrient-Dense Extracts, Herbs, and Adaptogens: Features compounds like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola extracts. This blend also includes functional mushrooms, such as Reishi and Shitake, which help the body manage stress and maintain balance.
Understanding the Functions of Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, serving as a primary structural component in connective tissues. It is fundamental to the architecture of the skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Its fiber-like structure provides tissues with tensile strength and elasticity, allowing them to withstand stretching and pressure.
Consumers often seek collagen for targeted benefits related to aging and physical performance. In the skin, collagen supports firmness and elasticity, helping to maintain hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines. For the joints, Type II collagen is a major component of the cartilage that cushions bones, supporting joint comfort and mobility.
The body synthesizes collagen using specific amino acids, primarily glycine, proline, and lysine, obtained through dietary protein intake. When taken as a supplement, collagen is usually broken down into smaller, easily absorbed peptides (hydrolyzed collagen). These peptides supply the necessary building blocks for the body to support its own collagen production.
Integrating Collagen Supplements with AG1
Since AG1 is a foundational supplement and not a source of collagen, many users choose to “stack” the two products. This involves taking both supplements together or around the same time. Because AG1 is a powder mixed with water, it pairs well with unflavored collagen peptide powders.
The most practical approach is to mix a scoop of AG1 and the recommended dosage of hydrolyzed collagen powder into the same cold liquid, such as water or a smoothie. This combination provides the broad spectrum of nutrients from AG1 alongside the specific amino acid profile from the collagen. Consistent daily intake is the goal, but keeping the liquid cold is important to preserve the potency of AG1’s heat-sensitive ingredients, such as probiotics.
When choosing a collagen supplement to stack with AG1, users typically look for Type I and Type III collagen, derived from bovine or marine sources, for benefits related to skin and connective tissue. A key advantage of combining them is that AG1 already provides high levels of essential co-factors, such as Vitamin C and Zinc, which actively support the body’s metabolic pathways for synthesizing collagen from the ingested peptides.