SEALs on Steroids? The PED Debate the Navy Won't Touch

About this video

Ritland and his guest discuss Naval Special Warfare’s introduction of random PED testing in May 2025 following a 2022 Hell Week death. The guest recounts that the deceased trainee was reportedly taking multiple substances obtained from Mexico. Both agree that rather than testing and punishing, the Navy should conduct blood panels on all students and team members and prescribe testosterone, HGH, or peptides when deficiencies are found to optimize health and performance.

Key takeaways

• The guest states he completed multiple Hell Weeks without using performance-enhancing drugs and believes it’s possible to pass BUDS without them
• The guest reports the 2022 trainee death involved multiple substances from Mexico, including Viagra and others, which he considers excessive even outside of BUDS
• Ritland argues the Navy should conduct blood panels and medically prescribe testosterone, HGH, or peptides for deficiencies rather than testing and punishing use, claiming this would be safer and optimize the military’s investment in operators

Episode details: published August 8, 2025 · 10.6K views · 3:45 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

← Previous: I Almost ST*BBED a Teammate During an Ocean Swim at BUD/S · Next: Why I Left The SEAL Teams: Navy SEAL Recalls Losing His K9 In a Dangerous Op →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)