"These cattle originated in central and upper Belgium and they, at one time, accounted for nearly half of the cattle in the national herd. Results of studies conducted in Belgium show that the carcass characteristics of the Belgian Blue were expressed in the crossbreds whose commercial value was then substantially increased. The observation explains the growing interest for the Belgian Blue breed as a terminal sire, its carcass composition and it's growth potential."
Myostatin (formerly known as Growth differentiation factor 8) is a growth factor that limits muscle tissue growth, i.e. higher concentrations of myostatin in the body may cause the individual to have less developed muscles.
The myostatin protein is produced primarily in skeletal muscle cells, circulates in the blood and acts on muscle tissue, apparently by slowing down the development of muscle stem cells.
