Porcine Muscle Glycogen Structure and its Association with Other Muscle Properties. ∗,†

Abstract

Summary

The average chain length of glycogen from porcine muscles decreased by approximately one glucose residue during post-mortem glycolysis. There was however, a more severe decrease in both external and internal chain lengths of the glycogen from the Chester White muscles which had a slow rate of anaerobic glycolysis. Sucrose feeding tended to lengthen both the external and internal chain lengths of the muscle glycogen and accelerated the rate of anaerobic glycolysis. These findings suggest that glycogen structure may be altered by nutritional as well as genetic influences and, in both instances, may influence the rate at which the molecule is degraded.