Experimental and multiomic analyses examine how androgen-receptor signalling helps maintain the dormant reserve of skeletal-muscle stem cells. In young adult mice, loss of the receptor disrupts the balance between dormancy and activation, depletes the stem-cell pool and impairs repair. Receptor binding also shifts between regulatory regions during regeneration. The study identifies a mechanism linking hormonal signalling with muscle stem-cell maintenance; its animal findings do not establish treatment recommendations for people.