The correlations of glycated hemoglobin and carbohydrate metabolism parameters with heart rate variability in apparently healthy sedentary young male subjects

•Apparently healthy sedentary young male subjects were enrolled in the study.•HRV negatively correlates with age, BMI, visceral fat and insulin resistance.•Glycated hemoglobin negatively correlates with HRV parameters in orthostatic test.•Changes of HRV may reflect subclinical metabolic deteriorations in sedentary subjects.