This study investigated the effect of dietary inclusion of 25 g/day of
L -Arginine (n = 7) or iso‑nitrogenous amounts of alanine (n = 6) from d 30 of gestation to d 28 of lactation of sows on performance, muscle traits and meat quality in offspring. From each litter, heaviest and smallest littermate of both sexes were reared from d 28 and slaughtered at d 140 in accordance with a 2
3 factorial design. A response to
L -Arginine were obtained on small females where
L -Arginine increased birth weight, however this effect disappeared at weaning.
L -Arginine increased daily gain by 7% and increased the cross-sectional area of the M. semitendinosus in small females by 14%, suggesting an increased lean ratio. Mechanistic studies showed firstly, that small female littermates had increased number of muscle fibres (myogenesis) after
L -Arginine treatment (11%) and secondly increased total DNA (12%) as a consequence of satellite cell proliferation. Traits describing tenderness seem to be affected by
L -Arginine but further studies are needed.
