By David Despain, Outdoors

University of Copenhagen sports physiologists first developed the “train low, compete high” protocol in 2005 for athletes looking for a performance edge. It encouraged the idea of double workouts every second day. In practice, athletes would eat breakfast to fuel their morning session, then skip lunch prior to their evening session, leaving muscles depleted of their glycogen stores.

The benefits were thought to be pretty straightforward: you force muscles into using glycogen stores more resourcefully by tricking them into becoming fat-burning machines. Dipping into fat reserves would prevent glycogen stores from depleting completely, so you’d lower your chance of “bonking,” or running out of fuel, during a long endurance race.

But the dietary protocol hasn’t stood up to the hype. “After over a decade of scientific research on ‘train low’ protocols, there have been no clear demonstrations of improved performance with competitive athletes at an elite level,” says Louise Burke, a professor of sports nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport.

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Two South Lake Tahoe men are accused of stealing the identities of five people in order to illegally purchase art.

Chad Galvan, 31, and Marcus Gamez, 31, were arrested last week on burglary and identity theft related charges.

“On Feb. 25, they went to the Marcus Ashley Gallery in South Lake Tahoe. While there they attempted to purchase a piece of art using a credit line they had opened in a victim’s identity. They also went to the gallery several days prior and successfully purchased artwork with stolen identities,” Detective Doug Sentell told Lake Tahoe News.

They used information from the identities to create several fraudulent Pennsylvania driver’s licenses that contained the victims’ names, home addresses, and dates of birth, according to Sentell. Authorities don’t know how the identities were stolen.

Businesses, including hotels, believing the men may have been at their establishment are asked to call Sentell at 530.542.6138.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Jackie Burrell, Bay Area News Group

There’s something distinctly different about Reno these days.

Oh, the neon arch still proclaims this the biggest little city in the world, and you’ll still find weary gamblers plying the slots. But the city is suddenly alive with new distilleries and craft breweries, grain-to-glass bars, farm-to-fork restaurants and a buzzy arts scene.

And the newest downtown lodging is an eco-friendly, nonsmoking, nongambling boutique hotel. Instead of a casino, the Whitney Peak Hotel has a gigantic bouldering gym, and its edifice holds the world’s tallest climbing wall — so intrepid guests can gaze down at the “Biggest Little City” arch next door from 164 feet. We got dizzy just looking up.

In fact, that dazed, delighted feeling lasted all weekend as we suddenly realized — Reno has farms? And a buzzy arts scene? And a glitzy hotel sans slots and smokes? And that’s not all?

How awesome is it to arrive in a place you thought you knew and discover you were delightfully wrong? We ponder the question as we stroll the galleries of the Nevada Museum of Art, just a few blocks from the Truckee River, which bisects the city. Built in 2003, the museum’s striking four-story building is a huge black mass with cantilevered edges and curves wrapped in crimped, charcoal-hued zinc, its lines echoing Nevada’s Black Rock formation. Inside, the exhibits are eclectic, fascinating and thought-provoking. We gaze at paintings and works from the museum’s permanent collections and check out a watershed sculpture exhibit, an amazingly bizarre taxidermied art exhibit and rooms filled with watercolors and sketches of coral reef destruction in the South Pacific.

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Three Bay Area men were arrested early Wednesday morning in South Lake Tahoe on burglary charges.

An alarm went off at Tahoe Keys Liquor about 1am March 4. Two people were inside the store when a police officer arrived. The glass on the front door had been smashed.

An El Dorado County sheriff’s deputy stopped a third suspect who was trying to leave in a vehicle. Detectives are still determining what if anything was stolen.

Arrested were Lorenzo Jackson, 20, of Antioch; Shayan Taghi, 20, from San Ramon; and Ryan Mello, 21, of San Lorenzo. All three were arrested on burglary and conspiracy charges. Taghi was also charged with vehicle theft because because the vehicle he was in had been reported stolen.

Officers are also investigating a second burglary that occurred at American Gas on Emerald Bay Road before the Tahoe Keys Liquor burglary. A general description of the American Gas suspects is similar to the suspects arrested in the Tahoe Keys Liquor burglary, officers said.

These incidents are not related to the rash of burglaries in late October at the Y, according to officers.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

A single-car accident has traffic congested in the Cave Rock area this afternoon.

A vehicle going west on Highway 50 crashed for unknown reasons. Nevada Highway Patrol as of 1:45pm March 4 said travel going west would be limited to one lane until the tow truck arrives.

No one was injured in the crash.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

• The final of the three-part Camp Richardson Snowshoe Cocktail Races is set for March 21 at 7pm.

• Learn about paid, intensive community service work through AmeriCorps. There will be a meeting March 10 at noon in the student center at Lake Tahoe Community College.

• Fire Prevention Fee bills for fiscal year 2014-15 are being mailed to more than 700,000 rural Californians, many of whom are receiving a bill for the fourth time. Information on how to appeal is available online.

• Maralana Fulton will talk about Motivating to Wellness, which focuses on the importance of motivation and support in achieving healthy living goals, on March 18 from 6-7pm at Elevated Fitness, 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Suite 8, South Lake Tahoe. The workshop is free for Tahoe Regional & Young Professional members and $5 for non-members.

• Mike Pegram, owner of the Carson Valley Inn, bought Sharkey’s late last year and plans to reopen it in April.

By John Tozzi, BloombergBusiness

More than 8,200 Americans — an average of 23 people each day — died of heroin overdoses in 2013. That’s according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and it’s the latest evidence that the nation’s heroin problem is becoming more severe.

The rate of overdose deaths in 2013, the CDC report states, is almost triple what it was in 2010.

The growing heroin problem follows a decadelong increase in the abuse of prescription opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl, which are chemically similar to heroin. Many more Americans continue to die from overdoses involving these kinds of prescription pills than heroin.

But opioid-related deaths have declined slightly, while the rate of heroin deaths has increased since 2010. That was the year the OxyContin, a widely prescribed painkiller, was reformulated to make it harder to abuse.

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By Jennifer Rachel Baumer, Nevada Business

Until recently, the term “medical tourism” largely referred to Americans traveling out of the country looking for affordable healthcare.Until recently, the term “medical tourism” largely referred to Americans traveling out of the country looking for affordable healthcare in technologically advanced but less expensive venues, from Mexico to Thailand and parts in between.

Now the term is starting to come home, often referring to domestic travel of American citizens within U.S. borders, traveling to find the best healthcare available.

In addition, until recently the best healthcare in the country didn’t include Nevada. When ranked according to the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people, or physicians or nurses per 1,000, Nevada ranks 47th, which isn’t care worth leaving home for.

However, things are changing by building off a new quality of healthcare and one of Nevada’s core strengths: an incredibly business-friendly environment.

In Northern Nevada, medical tourism is still in the foundational stage.

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By Sandra Chereb, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — Use of electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine would be regulated the same as tobacco under a bill introduced in the Nevada Senate on Monday.

Senate Bill 201 introduced by the Senate Finance Committee seeks to include e-cigarettes and “vaping” under Nevada’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which was passed by voters in 2006.

The law prohibits smoking in most public places, including schools, day care facilities, restaurants and indoor work places. There is an exception for gambling areas of casinos. Violations are a misdemeanor.

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The Lexus GX460 is worth the price. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Most motorheads know that the majority of Lexuses are clean sheet of paper designs. However, there are a couple of SUVs that are heavily revised versions of a Toyota chassised vehicles, the LX570 tested recently and the GX460 tested here.

Starting with the 4Runner chassis, the GX460 begins its recreation. Its body is completely different, as well as its powertrain. About the only shared mechanical feature is the center differential ratio and even that unit may have some differences. Otherwise about the only shared dimension is the midsized wheelbase of 109.8 inches.

Specifications
Price $39,000 to about $42,000 (Trail Premium)
Engine
4.6L DOHC 32 valve V-8 301 hp @ 5,500 rpm
327 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 3,500 rpm
Transmission
Six speed electronically controlled automatic
Transfer case (switchable locking)
Full time AWD with low range (2.566 reduction) Center locking differential
Configuration
Longitudinal mounted front engine, all wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 109.8 inches
Length 192.1 inches
Width 74.2 inches
Height 73.8 inches (with roof rack)
Ground clearance 8.1 inches
Weight 5,340 (4X4 Trail) pounds
GVWR 6,600 pounds
Weight distribution (f/r) 52/48 percent
Track (f/r) 62.4/62.4 inches
Steering lock to lock 3.0 turns
Turning circle 41.4 feet
Fuel capacity 23 gallons
Cargo capacity 64.7 cubic feet
Wheels 18X7.5 inches
Tires P265/60X18
Tow capacity 6,500 pounds
Coefficient of drag 0.35
Performance
0-60 6.99 seconds
50-70 3.91 seconds
50-70 uphill 5.66 seconds
Top speed Who cares? It will cruise effortlessly, quietly and smoothly well above all legal speed limits in the United States. But it is electronically limited to 110 mph.
Fuel economy
EPA rated 15/20/17 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 18 mpg in rural country driving and 23.0 mpg on the highway at legal speeds

While the 4Runner may have rugged, squared off defined muscle, the Lexus receives its le finesse treatment of sophisticated creases, smooth window lines, and more subtle lean muscle that combines with the Lexus theme grille treatment and signature. Length is 192.1 inches, while its breath is 74.2 inches. It stands 73.8 inches tall.

With the down size from the gargantuan LX570 to which the GX shares little if anything, comes a smaller version of the 5.7L V-8 engine. The 4.6L DOHC 32 valve V-8 punches out 301 hp at a low 5,500 rpm plus 329 pounds of twist also at a low 3,500 rpm meaning that at peak torque rpm you are producing 220 hp. That’s strong for a 4.6L engine. By comparison, the 4Runner with its 4.0L 270 hp V-6 makes much less twist (278 pounds) at a much higher rpm (4,400). And while the 4Runner weighs in at nearly 600 pounds less, the GX460 has a bit better acceleration while giving up almost nothing in fuel economy. And then there is the intrinsic feel of a V-8, nothing is smoother and the torque curve feels bottomless. And V-8s have a sound that is the sweetest music in motordom. You just can’t get that from a V-6 or inline four. The only thing close is a flat six.

Perhaps part of the extra performance is due to the GX’s six speed auto cog swapper compared to the 4Runners auto five speeder, but whatever the reason the GX will git‘er done with 0-60 mph runs of 6.99 seconds. Passing performance is excellent as well with a 50-70 mph level simulated pass just taking 3.92 seconds and an uphill run requiring 5.66 seconds. By comparison the 4Runner numbers while still very good are 7.78, 3.98 and 5.78 seconds respectively. The only significant difference is in the 0-60 mph run. That demonstrates the importance of more tranny speeds.

Now here is where it gets interesting, fuel economy. The Lexus weighs significantly more and has a larger, more powerful engine with two more cylinders, yet it returns essentially the same fuel economy with more performance. Yes, the EPA rates it lower than the 4Runner at 15/20/17 mpg city/highway/combined but it returned 18.1 mpg overall and at 70 mph on a level highway in a two-way run the GX achieved 23.0 mpg. Coefficient of drag is a low, for an SUV, 0.35. The 4Runner’s numbers were 18.5 mpg and 23.5 mpg. Almost identical. The GX turns a silent 1,750 rpm at 70 mph. That is sweet. Even sweeter is the mammoth 23-gallon fuel tank.

In the suspenders department, the front set up is state-of-the-art double wishbone, coils and a stab bar but out back in the Luxury model test vehicle is an adaptive variable set up (still using a highly articulating solid axle) with adjustable height control on the rear set up. Steering is a power rack with three turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle is a bit wide at 41 feet. On center feel is perfect and it does the twisties with good cornering power and here’s why. Track is a wide 62.4 inches and its 18 x 7.5 inch alloys are shod with wide 265/60 series tires.

When pushing the GX in tight twisties it was easy to get the Vehicle Stability Control to intervene and with it switched off its flat attitude would allow for easy rotation around the center point of the vehicle. You might find the steering a bit heavy, but it has good feedback. Turn-in is reasonably crisp considering the series 60 tires. There are a lot of comparisons reported here between the GX and the $runner. This is one area where there is little comparison. The GX is at a whole other level.

Ride quality is superb. While it is firm, it absorbs bumps and dips beautifully while muting all road imperfections perfectly, just like its bigger brother the LX. The ride also feels better damped than the 4Runner. It has an incredibly solid feel made more apparent by how quiet the ride and interior is. Wind, road, engine and tire noise are obliterated. Even makes the optional Mark Levinson sound system maintain its concert hall quality.

Braking is by four wheel ventilated discs and it shares the same braking system with the 4Runner and it stopped in the same 44 feet while carrying 600 pounds more avoir du pois. Of course it has every braking acronym in the book as well as all the traction and handling acronyms. In addition GX has controls for ride height, hill descent and more. It is amazing. LED low beam headlights turn night into day and ten airbags should also float your boat.

Handling is superb.

Semi-aniline leather will cuddle and comfort you and all materials are of the best quality. Lexus has left nothing out to create an air of sublime quality. Its interior is large with limousine proportions for five with two somewhat adequate seats in the third row. GX has complete and extremely clear instrumentation with all the bells and whistles. It doesn’t get any better. Everything has an exquisite, luxury touch like armrests, door paneling and center console.

The price of admission is not cheap with a starting price for the Luxury edition of $60,715, plus $910 for the boat from Japan. This vehicle’s only option was the $1,145 Mark Levinson premium sound system. That’s it. But when you look at plain Jane compact cars costing $20k plus, maybe it’s not that high. You get what you pay for and with the Lexus GX. It’s a lot of quality and luxury, never mind its outstanding all around performance and features.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.