More testosterone won’t make a better soldier or a tougher man – aggression and strength drive T levels, not the other way around

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is requiring service members to screen for low testosterone levels. Ironically, the military lifestyle itself is more likely to lower T levels.

By: Adam Stanaland, University of Richmond, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 21, 2026

Words: 1,233

Last Updated: 4 weeks, 2 days ago

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By Adam Stanaland, University of Richmond

How low is too low when it comes to testosterone levels? When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July 2026 that U.S. service members ages 30 and older will have their testosterone tested every year, neither he nor the Pentagon specified what level of the hormone would be considered “low” enough to require treatment – a telling omission, since where “low” begins depends on the lab conducting the …

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