Implications of skeletal muscle creatine kinase to meat quality

Creatine kinase (CK) is a key enzyme for the energetic metabolism of tissues with high and fluctuating energy demands in vivo, as it is the case of the skeletal muscle tissue, which is the most important for the meat industry. This enzyme is generally utilized as an indicator of physical stress and/or muscle damage in animal production. However, CK continues to exert important functions after the slaughter, participating in the transformation of the muscles into meat. This article considers the main aspects of the post-mortem behaviour of CK in the skeletal musculature of meat animals, and the possible implications on meat quality.