 Vlasov's health suddenly deteriorated in 1978–1979, which he related to a nervous breakdown due to his writing activities but not to weightlifting.Later he had a few surgeries on his spine.In the 1980s he returned to the top sport as a functionary – between 1985 and 1987 he was president of the Soviet Weightlifting Federation, and from 1987 to 1989 headed the Soviet Bodybuilding Federation.