The active muscles, such as the legs and thighs, are full of blood vessels. These blood vessels contain myoglobin (or muscle hemoglobin), which delivers oxygen to the muscles. The more myoglobin the muscles contain, the darker the muscle. Scientists often refer to these active muscles as slow-twitch fibers.
Background. Beef jerky is a type of snack food that is made by marinating beef in a curing solution and drying it. Meat treated in this way has a long shelf life and a unique flavor. Invention of this meat processing technology is attributed to Native Americans who smoke-dried meat to preserve it.
Beef jerky is a low-carb food, but fat content varies by brand. An ounce of beef jerky generally contains 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates, which are mainly from sugars added during processing. The USDA reports that 1 ounce of beef jerky provides 7 grams of fat, but some healthier jerkys contain less than 1 gram of fat per ounce. Look for beef jerkies that are very lean and contain little fat, because the fat in meat is a source of saturated fat which can increase blood cholesterol.