Warner-Bratzler and slice shear force measurements of 3 beef muscles in response to various aging periods after trenbolone acetate and estradiol implants and zilpaterol hydrochloride supplementation of finishing beef steers.

Our objectives were to determine the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) and the release rate of trenbolone acetate and estradiol-17β on the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and slice shear force (SSF) of longissimus lumborum (LL) and the WBSF of gluteus medius (GM) and psoas major (PM) in response to various aging periods. British × Continental steers (n = 168) were assigned to treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial. The main effects of treatment were implant (no implant, Revalor-S, Revalor-XS, Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, De Soto, KS) and ZH (0 or 8.3 mg/kg of DM for 20 d). Slaughter group was included as a random effect to account for the variation in days on feed (153 or 174 d). Loins (n = 96) were fabricated to obtain strip loin, top sirloin butt, and tenderloin subprimals. Five 2.54-cm steaks were cut from each subprimal and assigned to 1 of 5 aging periods (7, 14, 21, 28, or 35 d postmortem). Feeding ZH increased (P ≤ 0.01) LL WBSF and SSF values at each aging period compared with controls. Implanting increased (P < 0.05) LL WBSF values at 14 and 21 d, but did not affect LL SSF values (P > 0.05). Only Revalor-S increased (P ≤ 0.05) WBSF values at 28 and 35 d compared with no implant or Revalor-XS. The percentage of LL steaks with a WBSF value below 4.6 kg did not differ (P > 0.05) between ZH supplementation or implant strategy at any aging period, and by d 28, more than 99% of LL steaks registered WBSF values below 4.6 kg. Feeding ZH increased (P < 0.05) GM WBSF values only on d 21. Implant had no effect (P > 0.05) on GM WBSF values. The percentage of GM steaks with a WBSF value below 4.6 kg did not differ (P > 0.05) between ZH supplementation or implant strategy at any aging period. Neither ZH nor implant strategy affected PM WBSF values (P > 0.05). All PM WBSF values were below 4.6 kg on d 7. The results of this study indicated that feeding ZH increased WBSF and SSF of LL steaks, regardless of the aging period; however, the percentage of steaks with WBSF below 4.6 kg did not differ because of ZH or implant. Implanting increased LL WBSF values, but not SSF values. These results showed that although differences existed between implanting, as well as ZH supplementation of British × Continental steers, 99% of LL steaks were classified as tender based on WBSF values by extending aging to 28 d postmortem. It should be noted that 21.2% of 7-d, 13.8% of 14-d, and 17.3% of 21-d ZH steaks had WBSF values greater than 4.6 kg, but 0% of nonsupplemented steaks were greater than 4.6 kg at these aging periods. However, because ZH and implants can increase retail yield of valuable subprimals, such as the tenderloin, considerable value could be captured through ZH supplementation with anabolic implants because shear force was not affected in PM steaks.