To assess the effects of dietary CLA, lysine and sex on performance, blood metabolites, carcass characteristics, meat quality and skeletal development, seventy-two pigs (initially 105.3 +/- 6.6 kg live weight) barrows and gilts, were assigned to one of four diets in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. The diets contained 0%, or 0.75% CLA, and 0% or 0.16% of L-lysine-HCl. All pigs were slaughtered at an average weight of 153.4 +/- 11.0 kg. Neither CLA nor lysine supplementation influenced growth, blood metabolites or carcass characteristics. CLA reduced (P < 0.05) pH(24) and increased (P < 0.01) yellowness (b*) of the Longissimus muscle. Lysine increased (P < 0.01) pH(24) and reduced (P < 0.01) muscle ash content. CLA reduced (P < 0.05) collagen synthesis, and lysine increased (P < 0.05) collagen synthesis in Longissimus muscle, but no influence on intramuscular collagen maturity or muscle hydroxylysylpyridinoline crosslink concentration were observed. In addition, mctacarpal bone diameter was reduced (P < 0.05) by CLA. Barrows had higher ADG, final weight (P < 0.01), carcass weight, lean percentage (P < 0.05), serum cholesterol (P < 0.05) and triacylglycerol (P < 0.001) than gilts. Metatarsal diameter was larger in gilts than barrows (P < 0.05). (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.