The temperature dependence of anaerobic glycolysis in beef muscle held in a linear temperature gradient

Measurements have been made of the rate of pH fall post‐mortem in excised beef sternomandibularis muscles held in a linear temperature gradient. A minimum rate of pH fall was observed between 10 and 12°C and the rate increased as the temperature was further reduced towards 0°C, a phenomenon known to be accompanied by cold‐shortening and attributable to increased activity of the contractile actomyosin ATPase which stimulates glycolysis. The increase in rate observed as the temperature was raised above the 10–12°C minimum, had an activation energy of 40kJ/mol, similar to that of the calcium‐independent myosin ATPase.