Glycolysis is a very important pathway during the postmortem period, and the glycolytic rate during the postmortem period can be influenced by muscle fiber type. Generally, muscles composed predominantly of type IIB fibers are more susceptible to
postmortem glycolysis than muscles composed predominantly of type I fibers. Thus, muscles harboring a higher percentage of type IIB fiber show a rapid decline in early postmortem muscle pH in comparison to muscles harboring a lower percentage of type IIB fiber. Moreover, the composition of type IIB fiber is positively correlated with meat lightness and drip loss. In the case of the sensory quality, type IIB fiber is negatively correlated with juiciness and flavor. On the other hand, type I fibers contain more lipids than type IIB fibers, and a high type I fiber content contributes more flavor and juiciness, whereas a high type IIB fiber content tends to be associated with tougher meat. These studies suggest that muscle fiber characteristics are related to meat quality traits as well as to differences in fiber characteristics, which have been shown to be associated with the sensory quality of cooked meat