Abstract: With the economic and social development, the application of cable supported bridges is becoming more and more common. Cables are the core loaded members of cable supported bridges, due to their special location and features. Cables are vulnerable to lightning strokes.However, under existing lightning protection technical specification, and in the design and construction of bridges attention is usually only paid to the lightning protection design and construction of cable bent tower and main cable which can sustain the lightning strokes and sling in a high risk of lightning strike, thus endangering the safety of bridge structures. In order to protect stay cable and sling from lightning strike and ensure the lightning protection of cable supported bridges, calculations of the possibilities of lightning stroke on the cable supported bridges should be calculated by using the analysis of the rolling sphere method. Results show that cables are vulnerable to roof and side lightning strokes. Through multiple shock tests on three bridge cable samples relying on short-time and long-time lightning stroke test waveforms recommended by the national standard, it is shown that short-time lightning strokes have an indistinctive influence on the service life of cables while long-time lightning strokes are major factors influencing the service life of cables and even result in the rupture of cables. Therefore, lightning protection measures are taken and suggested for the cables used for cable supported bridges.