Glucose tolerance of sheep as related to post-mortem muscle characteristics

Abstract

The glucose tolerance, expressed as T 1/2, of sheep unaccustomed to blood sampling procedures was negatively correlated with the muscle glycogen concentration of the M. semitendinosus (ST) immediately after death and the extent of glycolysis. T 1/2 was positively correlated with the pH of the ST 24 hr after death. It was suggested that the rate of decline of plasma glucose concentration in a tolerance test was influenced by the animal's response to venipuncture and handling during the test. The extent of the animal's response to this stress was considered to be related to the animal's response to pre-slaughter stress and to account for the correlations between T 1/2 and post-mortem muscle properties.