Table 1. Outcomes of various studies applying interventions during carcass chilling aimed at improving the tenderness of mature beef muscles

Source	Muscle studied	Chilling treatment	Outcomes
McKeith et al. (1980)	Longissimus	Electrical stimulation	Decreased shear force.
Sonaiya et al. (1982)	Longissimus, semimembranosus, triceps brachii	Electrical stimulation	Decreased shear force but no impacts on myofibrillar fragmentation and troponin-T degradation.
Hawrysh and Wolfe (1983)	Longissimus, semitendinosus	Electrical stimulation	No impact on shear force and subjective tenderness.
Boleman et al. (1996)	Longissimus	Electrical stimulation	Decreased shear force for cattle on feed for 0, 28, and 56 d. No impact on shear force for cattle on feed for 84 d.
Fields et al. (1976)	Longissimus, sternomandibularis	Delay chilling	Lengthened sarcomeres resulting in lower shear force and greater sensory tenderness.
Phoya and Will (1986)	Longissimus, psoas major, quadriceps femoris	Delay chilling and hot boning	Increased shear force and decreased sensory tenderness of all muscles.
Berry and Cross (1982)	Longissimus, semimembranosus	Hot boning	Shortened sarcomeres of longissimus but not semimembranosus. Decreased collagen solubility and increased shear force.
Will and Beaty (1986)	Longissimus, psoas major, quadriceps femoris	Hot boning	Increased shear force of longissimus but not psoas major and quadriceps femoris.
Eilers et al. (1994)	Semimembranosus	Hot boning	Increased shear force without enhancement but decreased shear force with enhancement.
Pivotto et al. (2014)	Longissimus lumborum, semimembranosus	Hot boning	Increased shear force and sensory toughness of longissimus lumborum without enhancement. Hot boning was beneficial to tenderness when used with sodium tripolyphosphate.
Mandell et al. (2006)	Longissimus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, rectus femoris	Skeletal separation	Decreased shear force of the anterior longissimus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, and semimembranosus but not other muscles.
Streiter et al. (2012)	Longissimus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, semimembranosus, semitendinosus	Skeletal separation	Lengthened sarcomeres and decreased shear force of the longissimus lumborum and longissimus thoracis but not semimembranosus and semitendinosus.
Kethavath et al. (2022)	Longissimus lumborum, semimembranosus, triceps brachii	Vascular chilling	Decreased shear force of the longissimus lumborum supported by lengthened sarcomeres.