Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Muscle Characteristics of Beef Cattle Fed a High Energy Diet for Varying Lengths of Time

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of electrical stimulation on quality and palatability of cattle fed a high energy diet for various lengths of time. Stimulation improved tenderness in cattle that were fed a high energy diet for times ranging from 0–210 days. However, the greatest improvement was in cattle that were not fed the high energy diet. The amount of improvement in tenderness decreased as time on a high energy diet increased. Flavor and juiciness scores, sarcomere length, and myofibril fragmentation index were not affected by electrical stimulation. Stimulation significantly improved lean color, firmness and texture and decreased the incidence of heat‐ring in muscle at 24 hr postmortem.