Key Takeaways
- Athletic Greens (AG1) is a nutrient-rich powder supplement, popular with fitness influencers on TikTok.
- The brand promises increased energy levels, improved gut health, and immune system support.
- Though AG1 had some benefits and was easy to use, the results were not evident enough to justify the cost.
Athletic Greens provided Verywell with samples for this story.
Eating healthy has always been a challenge for me. I have historically been a picky eater—I still ate like a teenager long after being one and am known by loved ones as the queen of boxed macaroni and cheese. Though I’ve improved my eating habits in recent years, like most Americans, I still don’t eat enough vegetables or nutrient-rich foods.
But as I get older, I’m becoming more committed to taking better care of my body. Enter Athletic Greens, a nutritional powder supplement that claims to carry "comprehensive nutrition and gut health in one simple scoop."
What makes Athletic Greens powder, called AG1, such an attractive product is how nutrient-dense it is. The formula includes over 75 vitamins and minerals as well as prebiotics and probiotics. The full list of ingredients range from spirulina and apple powder to spinach leaf powder and pea protein. Even with so many ingredients, the product is vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and keto-friendly, has no GMOs, artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives, and is gluten-free.
The brand promises:
- Increased energy levels
- Improved gut health and digestion
- Immune system boost
- Physical recovery for athletes
And according to TikTok, AG1 delivers. With 151.2 million #athleticgreens views and hordes of influencers touting the product, it has a large and loyal following who swear by its benefits.
So when I had the opportunity to try AG1 through work, I decided to give it a go myself.
As someone with some pretty poor eating habits, the nutritional value this product offers was a huge draw for me. I was eager to see if such a simple product might make up for the nutrients I’m missing in my daily diet. Because of the product name, I mistakenly thought that it could be a replacement for vegetables—it’s not. But it did reap some small benefits.
CDC: Only 1 in 10 Americans Eat Enough Produce
How I Incorporated AG1 Into My Lifestyle
I had Athletic Greens every day for a month. I tried to drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, as the brand suggests. I sometimes drank it straight (powder and water), but I often incorporated it into a smoothie with banana and fruit juice to improve the taste.
It comes with a scoop for the exact measurement of powder you need and a water bottle marking how much water you need to fill. You simply shake and drink. My package also came with a set of five individual packets that I could use when I was traveling or on the go.
Another great aspect of AG1 is that it is so easy to make. I was grateful for that because it wasn’t a chore or big disruption to my daily routine.
I Felt More Energized and Strong Against Illness
I don’t drink coffee, so I don’t have the caffeine hit in the morning that many people get from coffee or tea. But my daily AG1 drink helped improve my mood in the morning and sustain that energy throughout the day.
I also noticed the immune system benefits AG1 promises. I never felt sick during the month, even though I was around sick people, traveled around, and I usually get a cold or some illness when the seasons change. I can’t necessarily attribute this to the product, but I felt healthy and strong, so I would say I’m a believer when it comes to the immune system boost.
The positive effects were most noticeable to me after I took an international trip mid-experiment. I brought some travel packs with me, but I wasn’t as consistent in my intake while I was away. I felt a positive difference in energy levels when I came home and started my regular routine again.
What Didn't Work for Me
While there were some positive effects from drinking Athletic Greens, they weren’t game-changers.
The immune and energy boosts were only slightly observable, and I didn’t feel the difference in gut health that the brand promises. Some users say they felt less bloated and had better digestion, but I didn’t really experience that. For how expensive the product is ($88 for a 30-day subscription after shipping), I was expecting stronger effects and more noticeable results to justify the price moving forward.
I also didn’t love the taste. I actually expected worse, but even so, it has quite a strong medicinal taste that is a little bit bitter, in my opinion. It was definitely better after incorporating it with other ingredients in smoothie form, so I did that more often than not.
Is Athletic Greens Actually Worth It?
As someone looking to improve their eating habits, I’m glad I tried AG1. Whether imagined or not, I felt better knowing I consumed something healthy every day, and it certainly offset my guilt for some of the not-so-healthy food I put in my body.
But unfortunately, the effects weren’t as pronounced as I was hoping for. If I were to keep buying and using Athletic Greens at its current price, I’d want to see the results I hear about on TikTok.
The Final Verdict
Though I felt some modest benefits from drinking Athletic Greens, it wouldn’t be worth the price for me to continue. While it was some comfort knowing I was consuming at least one healthy thing every day, I ultimately think the better choice would be to invest in buying and consuming more nutritious foods on the whole. So instead, I’ll take my money to the grocery store or my local farmer’s market and try to regularly eat more real fruits and veggies (with a box of mac and cheese once in a while).
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables.
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By Emma Brink
Emma Brink is a senior editor at Verywell Health.
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