The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lairage after transport on post mortem muscle glycolysis, protein phosphorylation and lamb meat quality. Two preslaughter animal treatments, transport for 3 h and lairage for 0 h (T3L0) and transport for 3 h and then lairage for 12 h (T3L12), were compared with a control treatment of 0 h transport and 0 h lairage. Data obtained showed that preslaughter transport had a significant effect on lamb meat quality. Loins from lambs of the T3L0 treatment showed higher (P=0.026) pH24 h and higher (P=0.021) pH48 h values, but lower (P<0.001) drip loss and lower (P<0.05) glycolytic potential at 0 h post mortem than those of the T3L12 and control groups. Muscle samples of the T3L0 group showed higher (P=0.046) shear force and lower (P=0.005) b* value than those of the T3L12 group. Muscle glycogen concentration at 0, 2, 4 h post mortem were lower (P<0.05) in the T3L0 group than in control. No significant difference (P>0.05) in most meat quality parameters was determined between the T3L12 group and control, showing lairage for 12 h allowed lambs to recover from the effects of transport for 3 h and resulted in similar meat quality characteristics compared to no transport. Lairage after transport did not affect most meat quality indices in comparison with control, but increased the meat drip loss and b* value of lambs possibly through decreasing glycogen concentration and glycolytic potential.
