The effect of zilpaterol hydrochloride supplementation on energy metabolism and nitrogen and carbon retention of steers fed at maintenance and fasting intake levels.

An indirect calorimetry trial examined energy metabolism, apparent nutrient digestibility, C retention (CR), and N retention (NR) of cattle supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH). Beef steers ( = 20; 463 ± 14 kg) blocked ( = 5) by weight and source were individually fed and adapted to maintenance energy intake for 21 d before allotment to ZH (90 mg/steer∙d) or no β-adrenergic agonist treatment (control [CONT]) for 20 d (455 ± 14 kg at the start of treatment). Respiration chambers = 4 were used to quantify heat production (HP) during maintenance (d 12 to 16 of the ZH period) and fasting heat production (FHP; d 19 to 20 of ZH period; total 4 d of fast). Steers were harvested after a 6-d ZH withdrawal and carcasses were graded 24 h after harvest. Control cattle lost more BW ( < 0.01; 9 kg for CONT and 2 kg for ZH-treated) during maintenance whereas the BW loss of ZH-treated steers was greater ( < 0.01; 9 kg for ZH-treated and vs. 4 kg, for CONT) during FHP; no differences ( ≥ 0.76) were detected for G:F, ADG, and end BW. No differences in DMI, apparent nutrient digestibility, O consumption, or CH production ( ≥ 0.12) were detected; however, ZH-treated cattle had greater CO production during maintenance ( = 0.04; 23.6 L/kgBW for ZH-treated and 22.4 L/kg BW for CONT). Digestible energy and ME did not differ ( ≥ 0.19); however, urinary energy was greater ( = 0.05; 0.091 Mcal for CONT and 0.074 Mcal for ZH-treated) in CONT cattle. Steers treated with ZH tended to have greater HP ( = 0.09; 12.44 Mcal for ZH-treated and 11.69 Mcal for CONT), but the effect was reduced on a BW basis ( = 0.12; 0.126 Mcal/kg BW0.75 for ZH-treated and 0.120 Mcal/kg BW0.75 for CONT vs. 0.120 Mcal/kg BW). No treatment difference in FHP was observed ( ≥ 0.32) although CO production (L/steer) increased with ZH treatment ( = 0.04; 1,423 L/steer for ZH-treated and 1,338 L/steer for CONT). Control cattle excreted more ( = 0.05) N in urine (39.8 g/d for CONT and 32.4 g/d for ZH-treated); therefore, NR ( = 0.07; 22.14 g/d for ZH-treated and 14.12 g/d for CONT steers) tended to be greater for ZH-fed steers. Steers treated with ZH lost more C via CO ( = 0.04; 1,036.9 g/d for ZH-treated and 974.3 g/d for CONT) although total CR did not differ ( ≥ 0.23). Empty BW, HCW, and harvest yields (g/kg empty BW) were not different ( ≥ 0.13), whereas ZH increased dressed yield ( = 0.02; 62.12 % for ZH-treated and 60.65% for CONT) and LM area ( = 0.02; 77.81 cm for ZH-treated and vs. 70.90 cm for CONT). Separable carcass lean and actual skeletal muscle protein (SMP) were increased with ZH ( ≤ 0.04; 201.6 and 41.2 kg, respectively for ZH-treated and 196.0 and 38.4 kg, respectively for CONT). Results from this trial indicate that ZH treatment increased ( = 0.03) SMP and tended ( ≥ 0.07) to increase NR and modify HP during maintenance by increasing CO production.