[openknot]

There was also an interesting discussion on the r/navyseals forum, frequented by applicants and veterans, which corroborates the steroid use (looks credible, with a pinch of salt as always because the comments are anonymous): https://www.reddit.com/r/navyseals/comments/x1hvaz/death_in_...

> "Sobering read. I really hope steroid use at BUDS isn't as big as this article purports it to be"

>> "It’s pretty accurate, the instructors even make jokes about it “Your roid rage is showing sir”"

>> "How could it not be, anabolics increase performance far outside the natural range and/or let you maintain what you could achieve naturally with far less effort. The effects can last well beyond when you stop taking them. You could take them from 18-21, keep training and join at 22 without testing positive but retaining a large (physical) advantage"

It's also very plausible from the NYTimes's article alone, from the report that the instructors had stopped testing for steroids, so there was no enforcement mechanism to stop the behavior.