INFLUENCE OF TENSION ON PRE-RIGOR EXCISED BOVINE MUSCLE

—The influence of four levels of tension in two pre‐rigor excised bovine muscles on fiber diameter, sacromere length, percent kinkiness, and shear value were studied. Fiber diameter was found to be smaller with 1,000‐g pull treatment than when there was no tension, but no significant change was found with succeeding increases in tension. Sarcomere length was found to increase to the 2,500 g pull treatment and then level off. Both muscles exhibited less kinkiness to the 1,000‐g pull treatment. However, after this level the semitendinosus muscle increased whereas the semimembranosus decreased. In like manner, a considerable decrease was noted in shear force to the 1,000‐g pull treatment for both muscles, but after this point a small increase was noted for the semitendinosus muscle whereas the semimembranosus muscle did not change. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved