Table 4 Treatment effects on metabolic variables pre and post-transport in control and transported (RT and ULT) animals (n = 20 animals/treatment)

Control

32.70 ± 1.37^ax

34.90 ± 0.74^abx

32.28 ± 0.89^abx

32.10 ± 0.73^bx

31.70 ± 0.70^bx

32.10 ± 0.71^abx

32.00 ± 0.73^abx

30.50 ± 0.61^bx

RT

32.40 ± 1.22^ax

34.20 ± 0.53^bxy

33.60 ± 0.58^bx

33.20 ± 0.56^abx

30.90 ± 0.37^bx

30.90 ± 0.49^bx

30.50 ± 0.4^by

30.10 ± 1.76^abx

ULT

34.25 ± 1.37^ax

33.00 ± 0.76^by

33.00 ± 0.72^abx

33.40 ± 0.90^abx

31.60 ± 0.73^bx

31.30 ± 0.59^bx

31.10 ± 0.63^bxy

31.50 ± 0.62^bx

Globulin (g/L)

Control

41.10 ± 1.64^x

39.40 ± 1.45^x

40.30 ± 1.47^x

41.30 ± 1.18^x

41.80 ± 1.22^x

41.20 ± 1.38^x

43.30 ± 1.24^x

43.00 ± 1.63^x

RT

40.95 ± 1.25^ax

41.76 ± 0.98^abx

40.81 ± 1.00^abx

43.79 ± 1.20^abx

41.15 ± 1.47^abx

44.82 ± 1.30^bx

44.61 ± 1.24^bx

44.37 ± 2.94^abx

ULT

39.28 ± 1.47^ax

39.28 ± 1.36^abx

38.56 ± 1.41^abx

40.99 ± 1.39^bx

40.32 ± 1.21^abx

42.85 ± 134^bx

42.50 ± 1.28^bx

43.71 ± 1.74^bx

Protein (g/L)

Control

73.82 ± 1.37^x

72.41 ± 1.26^x

72.57 ± 1.35^x

73.42 ± 1.09^x

73.48 ± 1.27^x

73.29 ± 1.57^x

75.35 ± 1.51^x

73.56 ± 1.41^x

RT

74.36 + 1.22^ax

75.99 ± 0.91^aby

74.48 ± 0.98^abx

77.03 + 1.08^bx

72.11 + 1.45^abx

75.81 + 1.26^abx

75.09 + 1.21^abx

76.15 ± 4.23^abx

ULT

73.09 ± 1.37^ax

74.24 ± 1.14^abxy

71.56 ± 1.13^abx

74.38 ± 1.54^abx

71.88 ± 1.16^abx

74.17 ± 1.39^abx

73.60 ± 1.22^abx

75.18 ± 1.30^abx

ßeta-hydroxy butyrate (BHB) (mmol/L)

Control

0.29 ± 0.02^ax

0.24 ± 0.01^bx

0.26 ± 0.02^abx

0.31 ± 0.02^abx

0.31 ± 0.03^abx

0.30 ± 0.02^abx

0.22 ± 0.02^bx

0.24 ± 0.02^bx

RT

0.29 ± 0.02^ax

0.28 ± 0.02^abx

0.31 ± 0.02^abx

0.35 ± 0.03^abx

0.32 ± 0.02^abx

0.26 ± 0.02^abx

0.18 ± 0.02^bx

0.19 ± 0.01^by

ULT

0.33 ± 0.02^ax

0.29 ± 0.03^abx

0.32 ± 0.02^abx

0.32 ± 0.02^abx

0.35 ± 0.03^abx

0.28 ± 0.03^abx

0.23 ± 0.01^bx

0.22 ± 0.01^bxy