Washington, Nov 21 (IANS): Pervasive, subtle gender biases and stereotyping by media is hampering the performance of American female athletes, a study contends.

The little media exposure that female athletes in the US get often focuses more on their attire, or how attractive they are than on their actual athletic prowess, the study added.

"Subtle biases that place cumulative stress on female athletes influence how they think about themselves and their abilities," said Emily Kaskan and Ivy Ho of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell in the US.

Reviewing popular Internet articles, the researchers found that the media often portray female athletes as inferior to their male counterparts and are dismissive of their true abilities.

The little coverage received often sexually objectifies female athletes by placing the spotlight on their looks.

Prolonged psychological stress can trigger changes in their hormonal, immune and cardiovascular systems, and make athletes vulnerable to, among others, heart disease and hypertension.

This, in turn, can influence a professional athlete's livelihood when she loses her place in a team because of her stress levels, impaired focus or poor health.

"Biases against women in sports are harmful not just to athletes, but to all women, because they can influence women's decisions on what types of physical fitness activities to participate in," Kaskan said.

The review appeared in the journal Sex Roles.