Why many women are attracted to sportsmen like Becks, Ronaldo

A new study has found that a majority of women find sportsmen, like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, attractive because they have been programmed to look for muscled men to protect their offspring and contribute good genes.

According to the study, conducted by Zurich University on more than 800 people, many ladies also believe that "high quality males" make good fathers, the Daily Express reported.

Study leader Dr. Erik Postma said that the association between looks and performance is in line with human endurance performance having been shaped by selection in our evolutionary past, where attractiveness was linked with health, vigour and strength.

Across cultures women place a lot of value on the provisioning ability of their prospective partner, Postma added.

The study is published in Biology Letters.