The degree of muscle contraction can be measured by the length of the sarcomeres, where shortened sarcomeres may indicate reduced myofibrillar tenderness (Sørheim & Hildrum, 2002). Some authors have found a significant correlation between meat tenderness and sarcomere length, mainly for slow glycolizing muscles (Rødbotten & Hildrum, 2000). These authors reported that the sarcomere length accounted for 62% of the variation in the Warner–Bratzler shear force of quickly chilled muscle that did not receive electrical stimulation. Bouton, Fischer, Harris, and Baxter (1973) found that the relationship between sarcomere length and tenderness was valid for some but not for all muscles.