In order to clarify the relationship between muscle quality and ATP-related compounds of grass carp muscle chilled storaged at 4 ℃, ATP-related compounds of grass carp muscle was investigated using high -performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and K value was calculated. The results showed that the variation tendency of ATP-related compounds of dorsal and abdominal muscle in grass carp was similar during chilled storage. IMP contents were increased at first and then decreased. Hx and HxR contents increased continuously. K values of dorsal and abdominal muscle of fresh grass carp were 7.72% and 7.78%. The fish began to decay when K value was close to 60%. According to the variations of ATP-related compounds and K values of grass carp muscle, grass carp shelf life was 6 d in the chilled storage at 4 ℃.