In this study, the rate dependent energy dissipation process and the fracture toughness of physical gels were investigated using agarose as a sample material. Both the J-integral and Essential work of Fracture (EWF) methods were examined. To assess the quasi-static fracture toughness of gels, linear regression was performed on critical J (J(c)) values at different loading rates resulting in a quasi-static J(c) value of 6.5 J/m(2). This is close to the quasi-static EWF value of 5.3 J/m(2) obtained by performing EWF tests at a quasi-static loading rate (crosshead speed of less than 2 mm/min). Nearly constant crack propagation rates at low loading rates, regardless of crack length, suggest viscoplastic chain pull-out is the fracture mechanism. At high loading rates failure was highly brittle, which is attributed to sufficient elastic energy accumulation to precipitate failure by chain scission. We conclude that in physical gels quasi-static fracture toughness can be evaluated by both the J-integral and EWF methods provided the effects of loading rate are investigated and accounted for. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51: 1078-1086, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers