“The term itself carries a negative connotation and hurts the perception of those of us who consider ourselves hardgainers.”
We all know someone who began lifting weights and seemed to respond very well. Perhaps they gained 20+ pounds of muscle in their first year of training. And then there’s some of us who are a few years in, and still waiting on that 20 pounds. It should be no surprise that some people respond better as this is true in many aspects of life. But when it comes to resistance training, we really want to squeeze out every bit of gains that we can. And the quest to greater gains asks questions such as: Why? Why does he/she/they respond so well, and why does he/she/they respond very little or sometimes, not at all?
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably determined that you’re a hardgainer, and you’re wondering, are hardgainers non-responders?
Key Points
| There is insufficient evidence suggesting that non-responders to resistance training exist. |
| “Low sensitivity” is a more appropriate term, as there is no individual who will not respond to exercise and “non-responder” is misleading. |
| Focusing on yourself as an individual is going to be most effective whether or not you are low-sensitivity. |
Are non-responders real?
Specifically, we’re referring to non-responders to resistance training, in terms of strength and hypertrophy.
When studies are conducted, non-responders are often found. What is important to note, though, is exactly what they did not respond to. If a subject did not respond to a specific training program, then they are a non-responder. But that certainly does not imply that the subject is a non-responder to resistance training.
This is a terminology problem, “non-responder” versus “did not respond”. This issue is outlined fantastically in this study by Pickering and Kiely.
Most studies focus on training their subjects with one type of program whether that’s strength-based, hypertrophy, or aerobic. The issue with utilizing a single training modality is that the term non-responder begins to appear. Some individuals require more volume than average. So for example, if the subject does not receive that volume, they are labeled as a non-responder in the paper, when really they just did not receive the required stimulus.
Furthermore, it is extremely rare that a study would be conducted twice on the same subjects. We do not know if the subjects labeled as non-responders would, in fact, respond to a repeated training program. This could happen, theoretically, due to improvements made by the population upon the first run of the training program.
Something else to consider is that there is a standard timeframe for these kinds of studies, and that is approximately 6-8 weeks. Some of us would be labeled as non-responders after only 6-8 weeks of training, without a doubt. If these studies ran for an absurd timeframe like say, 3 months, would these individuals still be non-responders?
There is not enough definitive evidence suggesting that non-responders to resistance training exist, due to the nature of intensity, volume, duration, and modality. The subjects simply did not respond, rather than be labeled as “non-responders”.
Booth and Laye suggest that the term “non-responder” should be replaced by “low sensitivity”.
Forget the term “non-responder”
Low sensitivity simply implies a low response. These “low sensitivity” individuals require more volume, intensity, etc. to see equal results.
The term “non-responder” is used to describe one who has not shown a response to the chosen training modality. The term itself carries a negative connotation and hurts the perception of those of us who consider ourselves hardgainers. Non-responder implies permanence and is damaging to someone who is struggling already.
“Low sensitivity” is more accurate and does not carry implied failure. A non-responder does not respond, but a low-sensitivity responder will respond with the correct amount of input.
How to know if you’re a low-responder
Unless you’re a subject in one of these studies specifically testing for low-sensitivity responders, only you can tell if you’re a low-responder or not.
It’s going to be difficult to tell if you’re in your first couple of years of lifting weights. But once you’re a few years in, you should have an idea of how far you’ve come. (Hopefully, you took photos and measurements!) It’s important not to constantly compare yourself to others, but if you notice that after a while, you’re not gaining the same as most gym-goers, you may be low sensitivity.
We know that somewhere between 7 and 10 percent of subjects are low sensitivity. That’s a pretty small margin. So don’t jump to the conclusion that you’re at a disadvantage.
In conclusion, it doesn’t really matter if you’re low sensitivity or not. When someone is on a quest to build muscle and go from hardgainer to smartgainer, they have to pay close attention and learn what works best for them. The gains may not come easy, but they’ll come if you are determined to try new things and explore all types of training.
A note on non-responders to creatine monohydrate
So we’ve busted the non-responder myth, but it is important to note that we didn’t bust non-responders altogether. Non-responders to creatine exist.
If you want to learn more about creatine, read this article where I answer some more questions.
It is true that some individuals do not respond to creatine monohydrate, meaning that they do not observe the benefits of supplementation. One possible explanation for this is that some people simply have a higher amount of creatine already present in their bodies. This can be due to genetics or a diet high in red meat. But there are simple individuals out there who will not respond due to their genetics.
If you think that you may be a non-responder to creatine, you can try a few things to determine if this is true or not.
Try taking 10g daily instead of 5g. 3-5g is the recommended dose. However, some individuals report seeing the benefits of creatine after increasing their dose. Pay close attention though, because possible side effects of creatine include cramping and bloating, so increasing the dosage could increase these side effects.
Consider human error. Ask yourself questions such as: Are you taking it every day? And, are you consuming the whole dosage? (Are you perhaps pouring the water out if you don’t finish?)
If you do think that you are a non-responder to creatine, you can check by cycling off and back on again, and paying close attention to any potential changes. Most people experience a few pounds of water weight gain during the initial 1-2 weeks.
If you’re not sure, just take it anyways. Creatine is the most studied sports supplement we know and is inexpensive with few side effects.
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