The proportions of muscle, bone and fat in two different types of dog.

This study compares the proportions of muscle, bone and fat (obtained by gross dissection) in greyhounds--a breed selected for high speed running--and other dogs, both at maturity and during growth. In adults the proportion of muscle is significantly greater in the 'athletic' greyhound. The proportion of muscle decreases but not significantly with detraining. Adult greyhounds have less fat (even when detrained) than other dogs, but the skeleton provides a similar proportion of liveweight in both types of dog when adult. The greater growth rate of muscle in athletes explains the difference in adult proportions.