Double muscles offer exciting and interesting possibilities
What is double muscle
Myostatin genes are found in all mammals. The genes affect the production of proteins. The production of proteins is crucial for muscle development. Some animals contain mutations of the gene, which means that the proteins have less control over muscle development.
The mutation in the myostatin gene can therefore increase muscle mass, also called double muscle. In several beef cattle breeds, mutations of myostatin have been found, which have given the cattle up to 20-40% more muscle mass. The hindquarters of cattle in particular are affected by the gene.
There are several different types of myostatin or double muscle.
The three most well-known genes are: nt821, Q204X and F94L.