Observing a slimming dietary (or exercise) protocol will lead, or should lead, to a loss of excess adipose tissue accumulation. However, this loss will rarely be uniform: some athletes may observe a greater reduction in particular body districts (e.g. buttocks, thighs, belly or hips) and less in others. Now, although this may appear to be more of an aesthetic than a performance-related problem, some athletes may benefit from a balanced fat loss between the various body districts. To pursue this particular goal, topical creams have been created, which are to be smeared on the body districts that one would like to lose weight. The active ingredients of these products are the same as those seen in the section on slimming supplements (e.g. yohimbine and caffeine). Some such products have indeed yielded appreciable results (Greenway, 1995; Tholon, 2002), but nevertheless, local-action creams often lead to several problems: firstly, not all studies confirm their efficacy; moreover, once the application is discontinued, the lost centimetres of circumference are quickly regained. This suggests that the use of these products does not lead to any real fat loss, but only to water loss, hence the reduction in volume of the body district where the cream was applied. The fat loss would therefore only be apparent. Finally, some products may give rise to allergic reactions, albeit only in a small number of sensitive individuals, or in any case to skin disorders. Should one wish to attempt to use these products, it is recommended to follow the directions on the label with regard to correct application.