Table 2. Summary of ovine muscle fiber characteristics

Breed Sex Age Weight (kg) Muscle name Muscle fiber characteristics Reference
Typing method Type Fiber size (CSA, µm2) Relative fiber area (%) Relative fiber number (%) Fiber density (number/mm2)
Dorper×Pelibuey Male 5 months 15.02 (Carcass weight) M. Longissimus thoracis NADH-TR technique Oxidative 1,077.3 - 43.41 - Peña-Torres et al. (2022)
Glycolytic 1,619.2 - 56.58 -
Myosin ATPase reactivity I 2,349 - 12.34 462.8
IIA 1,447 - 36.53
IIB 1,760.8 - 51.11
Dorper×Pelibuey Male 6.5 months - M. Longissimus thoracis NADH-TR technique I 2,155 - 23.35 - López-Baca et al. (2021)
IIA 2,389 - 33.00 -
IIB 3,065 - 43.64 -
Sunit(Chinese) Male 3 months 13.56 (Carcass weight) M. Longissimus thoracis Myosin ATPase reactivity I 1,124.70 6.86 8.74 740.63 Liu et al. (2022)
IIA 1,503.48 37.21 32.33
IIB 1,318.90 55.86 59.16
Female I 1,147.73 6.41 8.03 780.97
IIA 1,452.06 34.87 30.78
IIB 1,258.49 56.30 63.24
German Heath Lamb Male 5 months - M.longissimus thoracis et lumborum & M. Quadriceps femoris Myosin ATPase reactivity I 978.12 18.99 - - Fantová et al. (2015)
IIA 578.38 21.27 - -
IIB 680.82 59.74 - -
Female I 1,264.31 8.12 - -
IIA 839.89 24.02 - -
IIB 1,065.61 67.86 - -
Male & Female M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum I 1,035.63 8.12 - -
IIA 647.90 24.02 - -
IIB 805.11 67.86 - -
M. Quadriceps femoris I 1,206.80 27.48 - -
IIA 770.36 16.48 - -
IIB 941.33 55.65 - -
NADH-TR, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-tetrazolium reductase.