Once the folly of beauty queens with poms poms on the sidelines of US football games, cheerleading has taken off in recent times and is now claimed to be the fastest growing sport in the world.

In Australia, more than 10,000 competitors and 15,000 spectators took part in the All Star Cheerleading Federation's national championships on the Gold Coast last month. And there was not a football uniform to be seen.

Instead, cheerleading squads were in themselves the main event, performing aerial stunts and tumbles at a packed Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Now the International Olympic Committee has given provisional recognition to cheerleading, as well as the martial art of Muay Thai kickboxing, the next step to becoming a future Olympic sport.

The IOC will give the two sports $25,000 in annual funding and allow them to tap into programs such as athlete development and anti-doping.

At the end of a three-year provisional recognition period, both sports will be able to apply to become part of the Olympic Games sports program in 2024.

IOC sports director Kit McConnell said cheerleading was growing in popularity, with a strong youth focus in schools and universities.

The International Cheer Union has over 100 national federations and nearly 4.5 million registered athletes, he said.

Executive director of the Australian All Stars Cheerleading Federation, Stephen James, said the sport was only going to get bigger and the inclusion was great news for cheerleading bodies globally.

"This is a really great result after years of hard work from international cheerleading federations to have the sport provisionally recognised by the IOC," said James.

"Australia always places well in international cheerleading competitions, so the news is very exciting for us."

Director of the Victorian State Cheerleaders Gaynor Maxwell said it was more spectacular and popular than many Olympic sports.

"It's unbelievable the stunts and tumbling they do and extremely dangerous," Ms Maxwell said. "You have to have a very high skill level."

She said her five teams train together at least five hours a week and then members do individual classes as well.

"The males are able to toss the girls so high up in the air and the flyers will then balance on one hand. You just sit there with your mouth open."

Cheerleading is popular because of the exceptionally trusting bond, comradery and competitiveness that comes with risky team stunts, she said. Loud music and excitment were also attractive hallmarks of the sport.

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