Objective To analyze the nutritional status of junior cyclists in Jiangsu Province during training from 2018 to 2021, in order to clarify whether junior cyclists have inadequate nutritional intake during the training period, and further provide a basis for relevant authorities to take timely intervention measures.Methods A total of 1100 junior cyclists from Jiangsu Province in 2018-2021 were selected as the respondents to investigate and analyze the dietary structure of junior athletes during training. A total of 1086 valid questionnaires were collected.Results Energy intake was generally adequate among the 1086 young athletes, with actual energy intake generally reaching more than 80% of the EER, and the athletes generally consumed too much fat, while carbohydrates provided insufficient energy, well below the lower limit of 55%-65% of the recommended amount; the daily energy provided by fat in young athletes was below the recommended intake (25%-30%).The daily energy provided by carbohydrates was within the recommended range (55%-65%) for adolescent athletes, and 65.58% and 63.69% of the total energy was provided by carbohydrates for male and female athletes respectively, while cereals and grains were the main source of carbohydrate energy; the The reasonable proportion of energy provided by protein should be 12%-15% of the total caloric energy, and the energy provided by protein was 13.58% and 13.49% for male and female adolescent athletes respectively, which were within the reference range. The intake of eggs, cereals and their products in the dietary structure of athletes was good and could meet the needs of athletes, while the intake of sugary drinks, animal meat, milk, vegetables and beans was insufficient, and the intake of fruits, potatoes, aquatic products and poultry meat was seriously insufficient, especially fruits were seriously lacking, the average daily intake of fruits was only 17.39% for male athletes and 20.35% for female athletes. The average daily intake of fruit for male athletes is only 17.39% and for female athletes is only 20.35%.ConclusionFrom the survey, it can be seen that the energy and nutrient intake of youth cyclists in Jiangsu Province is insufficient to meet the needs of athletes during training, and the dietary structure of athletes is unreasonable, with an excessive daily intake of cereals and a single type of cereal, as well as a high intake of dinner for a long period of time, which is not conducive to the improvement of athletic ability and normal training. It is recommended to strengthen the education of athletes, managers and cooks on nutrition, adjust the dietary structure of athletes, improve their eating behaviour and ensure their nutritional intake, so as to lay the foundation for improving the athletic performance and nutritional health of young athletes.