The House of Pod · Jul 28, 2026 · 57:14
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just announced mandatory annual testosterone screening for U.S. service members over 30 — under the banner "The High T Department of War." Dr. Kaveh Hoda breaks down what's actually true about low T with pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Riordan Ledgerwood, a proudly trans-masculine Army veteran, and returning guest Myke Cole — writer, veteran, and author of The Bronze Lie — who's spent years dismantling the myth of the Spartan super-soldier.
Together they dig into what low testosterone really means medically, why there's zero scientific evidence linking T levels to battlefield lethality, and the risks (yes, including gynecomastia) of dosing healthy young men who don't need it. They trace the "warrior hormone" myth back through history — from Spartan arete to Viking drengskapar — and connect it to the internet-fueled backlash against Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and its casting choices. Plus: is The Odyssey actually a good movie?
A mix of hard medical science, ancient history, and pop culture, with the usual dose of hot sauce.
Enjoyed the episode? Please take 30 seconds to it makes a huge difference in helping new listeners find the show https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-house-of-pod/id1225096382
rab House of Pod merch! Pick up a shirt: Search "House of Pod" at bonfire.com or go to https://www.bonfire.com/hopmerch
Find me Kaveh on Instagram or TikTok @thehouseofpod or email at hopquestions@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.