Pete Hegseth should know this: More testosterone won't make a tougher soldier
<p>How low is too low when it comes to testosterone levels? When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that U.S.
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<p>How low is too low when it comes to testosterone levels? When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that U.S. service members ages 30 and older will have their <a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-testosterone-testing-troops-47333bbf3af9e4cac432722332ff1383" target="_blank" >testosterone tested every year</a>, neither he nor the Pentagon specified what level of the hormone would be considered “low” enough to require treatment — a telling omission, since <a class="Link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/16/health/testosterone-explainer-military-testing-wellness" target="_blank" >where “low” begins</a> depends on the lab conducting the test and the guidelines your doctor follows.</p><p>The announcement lands amid a national testosterone craze: Prescriptions have climbed to nearly <a class="Link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/magazine/testosterone-masculinity-trump-rfk.html" target="_blank" >12 million in 2025, up 154% since 2020</a>, and fastest among men in their late 30s and 40s. <a class="Link" href="https://wewillcure.com/insights/therapeutics/care-delivery/startups-disrupt-testosterone-therapy-market-as-younger-men-fuel-demand" target="_blank" >Online clinics</a> that sell testosterone as a lifestyle upgrade have largely driven this rise in prescriptions.</p><p>As a <a class="Link" href="https://psychology.richmond.edu/faculty/astanaland/" target="_blank" >psychologist who studies masculinity</a>, I’m certain that while the idea that more testosterone makes a man tougher and more fit to fight seems intuitive, it’s also mostly wrong.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-dc0000" name="module-dc0000"></a> <div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Commentary bug</div> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h2>Commentary</h2></div> </div><p>Testosterone is often <a class="Link" href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/testosterone-in-women" target="_blank" >considered a “male” hormone</a>, but people of every gender produce it in differing amounts.</p><p>In cisgender boys and men, testosterone levels rise at puberty, helping build muscle, grow body hair and produce sperm.
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Pete Hegseth should know this: More testosterone won't make a tougher soldier
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