Tear the pouch at the notch on the top edge — fingers when they work, teeth when you're on the move — squeeze the gel up from the bottom like a toothpaste tube, then fold the empty flat and tuck it back in your pocket or belt. If the tab comes off in the tear, pocket it with the empty. Done a few times, it's one smooth move — no sticky fingers, no litter.
How do you open an energy gel while running or riding?
Every standard gel pouch has a small notch cut into the top edge — that's your starting point. The move works the same whether you're a runner, cyclist, or triathlete:
- Get the pouch out early. Pull it from your pocket or belt a minute before you plan to take it, not mid-fumble at the moment you're empty-handed.
- Grab the neck with one hand. Hold the pouch around its neck, just below the notch — not the belly, so you're not squeezing gel toward the opening before it's open.
- Tear at the notch with the other hand. Fingers work when your hands are dry; teeth are the reliable option on the move, with cold fingers, or one-handed on the bike. A partial tear keeps things tidiest, but don't overthink it at race pace — if the tab comes clean off, it just rides back in your pocket with the empty.
- Squeeze from the bottom. Work the gel up toward the opening like a tube of toothpaste, in one or two steady squeezes rather than lots of small ones.
- Fold it flat and stow it. The empty pouch folds down to almost nothing. It goes back where it came from until the next trash can.
Take it with water when you can — water helps the carbs move out of your stomach and into your bloodstream. See do you need water with energy gels for how much.
What do you do with the tab?
Whatever the tear gives you. Nobody's doing precision tab management while breathing hard — sometimes it stays attached, sometimes it comes clean off in your fingers or your teeth. The only rule that matters is that it doesn't hit the ground: keep it in your fist or drop it straight in the pocket the pouch came from, and deal with all of it at the next trash can. The goal is zero litter, not a tidy tear.
What are the most common gel-opening mistakes?
| Mistake | What happens | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Letting the tab drop | Loose tab litters the course | Fist or pocket — it rides home with the empty |
| Tearing too far down the pouch | Gel on your fingers and gloves | Start at the notch; a partial tear is tidiest |
| Squeezing from the middle | Half the gel stays trapped below your grip | Squeeze from the bottom, work upward |
| Opening it at the last second | Fumbling while you're breathing hard | Get it out early; slow half a step if you need to |
| First attempt on race day | All of the above, at once | Practice the whole move on training runs |
The move is worth rehearsing — mile 18 with sweaty hands is a bad time to negotiate with a pouch. Build it into the same long-run practice as the fueling itself: see how to practice gel fueling in training.
What do you do with the empty wrapper?
Fold it flat and pack it out. An empty gel pouch takes up almost no space — it goes back into the pocket, belt, or vest it came from and stays there until an aid-station trash can or the finish line. On roads it keeps the course clean for everyone behind you, and on trails the rule is simpler still: everything you carry in comes back out with you. If you're deciding where that pocket is in the first place, how to carry gels on a run covers the options.
Opening a Hüma
Hüma pouches open the standard way: a tear-top notch, a partial tear, a squeeze from the bottom. The formula helps the rest of the move — Hüma carries more water than a thick, syrupy gel, so it's less concentrated and moves out of the pouch without a wrestling match, and the real-food carbs from brown rice syrup and real fruit purees go down smooth. At two to three Hüma per hour on a long effort, the open-squeeze-fold sequence becomes automatic fast. Then the empty folds flat and rides home in your pocket.
Related guides
- How to carry gels on a run
- How to practice gel fueling in training
- Do you need water with energy gels?
- When to take your first gel
- How to store energy gels
FAQ
How do you open an energy gel?
Pinch the pouch below the notch at the top, tear across — with fingers or teeth — and squeeze the gel up from the bottom. Fold the empty pouch flat and pocket it, tab and all.
What do you do with the gel tab?
Whatever the tear gives you — attached or torn off, the only rule is it doesn't hit the ground. Keep it in your fist or drop it in the pocket with the empty pouch until the next trash can.
Can you open an energy gel with one hand?
Yes — hold the body of the pouch in one hand and tear the notch with your teeth. It's the standard move for cyclists and for anyone whose other hand is holding a bottle. Practice it in training before you need it in a race.
How do you eat a gel without making a mess?
Tear only partway across, squeeze from the bottom of the pouch upward like a toothpaste tube, and take it in one or two steady squeezes. Tearing too far down or squeezing from the middle is what puts gel on your fingers.
What do you do with empty gel wrappers during a race?
Fold them flat and pack them out — back into your pocket, belt, or vest until you reach an aid-station trash can or the finish. On trails the rule is simple: everything you carry in comes back out.
