---
title: 'Creatine Doesn''t Work for Everyone: Here''s What You Need to Know'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=qNUBekwz3SQ'
video_id: 'qNUBekwz3SQ'
date: 2026-07-24
duration_sec: 286
channel: 'PictureFit'
---

# Creatine Doesn't Work for Everyone: Here's What You Need to Know

> Source: [Creatine Doesn't Work for Everyone: Here's What You Need to Know](https://youtube.com/watch?v=qNUBekwz3SQ)

## Summary

Creatine is widely recognized as an effective fitness supplement, but research shows that up to 30% of people experience little to no benefit, known as creatine non-responders. This video explores a new genetic explanation for this phenomenon, based on a study that analyzed how specific gene variations influence creatine's effects on muscle mass and injury risk.

### Key Points

- **Creatine Non-Responders** [00:00] — Up to 30% of people taking creatine see little to no benefit, termed creatine non-responders.
- **Previous Explanations** [00:57] — Non-response may be due to muscle fiber composition (more type 1 slow-twitch fibers) or dietary creatine intake from meat.
- **Genetic Study Overview** [01:27] — A study of 100 athletes examined six genetic variations (polymorphisms) linked to power and strength, giving each a total genotype score.
- **Results: Muscle Mass and Genetics** [02:27] — Athletes with higher genotype scores saw significant gains in muscle mass, especially linked to ACE and AMPD1 genes. BMI also increased, but fat mass did not.
- **Injury Association** [02:53] — Lower genotype scores were associated with a higher risk of muscle injuries during the study.
- **Study Limitations** [03:05] — The study lacked a control group and blinding, so causality cannot be confirmed. It only measured body composition, not performance.
- **Future Research Needed** [03:52] — The study opens the door for further investigation into genetics and creatine response, but more research is required before drawing firm conclusions.

### Conclusion

While genetics may influence how much you benefit from creatine, current evidence is preliminary. The study highlights the need for more rigorous research to understand creatine non-responders and temper expectations about the supplement's universal effectiveness.

## Transcript

a lot of people feel after taking it. And if that’s you, then we might finally understand why that is. Let’s talk about it. your enemies, your mom, your dogs, love to tell you how great creatine is. And,
the fact is, they are essentially right since creatine is one of the most that has consistently shown effective fitness benefits. Yet, anything for them, that’s probably true.
Despite its amazing benefits, the research also clearly shows that some people experience little to no benefit from taking creatine. These people are known as creatine non-responders, and,
based on some datasets, they can make up as much as 30% of all people taking creatine. Now there are reasons proposed in the past for the existence of non-responders. One has to do with a person’s muscle fiber
composition. Having more type 1 slow-twitch fibers might benefit less from creatine than having more type 2 fast-twitch fibers. creatine from the food they eat, especially creatine-rich
sources like meats. But there’s also one potential explanation that never really got much attention… until now. it has to do with your genetics. Let’s take a look.
impact on different training outcomes within a group of one hundred During the intervention, the athletes were training in various types of exercises that involve strength, endurance, and skill-based drills.
of course, supplemented creatine and nothing else for about 8 weeks, using a fairly standard protocol of loading 20 grams a day for five days As far as the genetic component, six
different polymorphisms, or genetic variations, were genotyped selected for their association with power output and strength in ways that mechanistically can be influenced by creatine supplementation.
Based on their genetic assessment, each athlete was given a total genotype score. The higher their score, the more they supposedly should benefit when we look at the results, there might very well be something to it.
After eight weeks, athletes that saw significant gains in muscle mass did tend to have higher genotype scores. More specifically, mass was strongly associated with having more favorable genotype scores
for two specific genes, ACE and AMPD1. BMI also increased with higher genotype scores, while fat mass saw no strong relationship. Also, lower genotype scores were more strongly associated
with sustaining muscle injuries. Now, before we jump to any conclusions, Yes, there was an association based on genetics. However, it’s
hard to definitively say how much of a role creatine really played because this study really only scratches the surface in terms of evidence. with any type of blinding. Instead, all athletes were simply given creatine,
and various outcomes were measured before and after. So we can’t rule out potential biases or really attribute outcomes directly to either creatine or certain genetics. And we also recognize creatine primarily
as a performance-enhancing supplement, yet this study only really looked at body composition. So, there’s still a lot of questions needing answers. is that it’s still always great to have studies that simply open the door
And this study does just that for the topic of creatine non-responders. In the end, we just wanna make the most informed decisions with our supplement
nor am I saying we should, but at least it will help us temper a bit of our expectations. That said, if future research follows a similar pattern as this study, then
we can say genetics may very well play a role in the benefits of creatine. we definitely want to wait for more research. And when that does happen, make sure you come back ‘cause I’ll be sure to cover that as well.
and share it with your creatine-loving friends. Subscribe for more and let me know what you think in the comments. As always,