BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of heart rate variability was first appreciated in 1965 when Hon and Lee noted that fetal distress was preceded by alterations in inter beat intervals before any appreciable change occurred in heartbeat. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to identify abnormal heart rate and blood pressure responses to tread–mill exercise among young adult normotensive males with and without a parental history of hypertension. The second objective was to elaborate possible correlation (if any), between heart rate responses and heart rate variability parameters during post exercise recovery period. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A total of 98healthy normotensive males with normal BMI (18.5 – 24.9 kg/m²) and average physical fitness index were chosen for the study. They were classified into two groups based on their parental history of hypertension. All subjects underwent a sub maximal tread–mill exercise test as per Bruce protocol. The exercise was continued at the same Bruce stage for three minutes at the target heart rate. ECG and heart rate were recorded at baseline, during exercise and during recovery period of ten minutes while blood pressure was recorded at baseline and recovery. RESULT:  The basal systolic blood pressure and the recovery systolic blood pressures at the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th minute of recovery were significantly higher in the group with parental history of hypertension than in the other group .The baseline LF normalized units and LF/HF ratio were significantly higher in the group with parental history of hypertension than the other group. The baseline HF normalized unit was significantly lower in the group with parental history of hypertension than the other group. CONCLUSION: A difference in baseline systolic blood pressure, a higher LF normalized units and a lower HF normalized units found in offspring of hypertensive parents may be an early marker of cardiovascular change in subjects with a genetic predisposition to hypertension.