Abstract
ABSTRACTChanges in muscle fiber types in relation to chronological age (2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks) and sex (male versus female) from selected leg muscles of broiler chickens were characterized. Five muscles were sampled from different anatomical locations along the leg of each bird. Muscle fiber area increased (P < 0.05) in size as the chickens became older. However, the rate of area enlargement decreased with age. Muscle fiber area enlargement affected the distribution of muscle fibers, which may have been due in part to the counting template used in this study. The sex of the chickens had little influence (P > 0.05) on either the proportion of muscle fiber types or area of muscle fibers. ‘Giant fibers’were found in muscles with a high proportion of αW fibers. These data characterize the relationship of muscle fiber types in relation to muscle function, chronological age and sex.
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