Jason Walsh
Strength, endurance, and longevity are often pursued through discipline and intensity, but for Jason Walsh, true performance begins with a deeper understanding of the body itself. Renowned for training some of the most recognized names in film and sport, and as the co-founder of RISE311, Walsh has built a reputation grounded not only in physical results but in a holistic approach that honors recovery, sustainability, and long-term wellness.
In recent years, his focus has expanded beyond movement into the powerful role of nutrition, specifically, how clean, plant-based protein can support both peak performance and optimal digestion. Recognizing that what we consume is just as important as how we train, Walsh is helping to shift the conversation toward smarter, more intentional fueling, where gut health, ingredient integrity, and bioavailability take center stage.
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In this interview, Jason shares the inspiration behind his science-driven approach to plant-based innovation, the insights he has gained from working with high-performing individuals, and his vision for a future where strength and wellness are built from the inside out. Thoughtful and forward-thinking, his perspective offers a compelling reminder that true vitality is not just achieved, it is cultivated.
Your work has long focused on elite performance. What personal experiences or observations led you to explore plant-based protein as a serious solution for strength and recovery?
It wasn’t ideology, it was problem-solving. Over two decades of training actors and athletes, I kept seeing the same pattern: people doing everything right in the gym but fighting their own digestion afterward. Whey worked for some, but for many of my clients, it caused bloating, sluggishness, and inflammation that actively slowed their recovery.
I started asking a different question: what if the protein itself was the bottleneck? Not the training, not the discipline, the protein. Once I saw that a carefully formulated plant-based protein could match whey on amino acid completeness while eliminating the digestive overhead, the direction was clear. Plant-based wasn’t the destination. Better performance and results were achieved. Plant-based turned out to be the best vehicle to get there.
As a celebrity trainer, you’ve worked with bodies under extreme demand. What digestive challenges did you see most often, and how did that influence the formulation of your protein at RISE311?
Bloating was the big one. Then inflammation. Brain fog on set. I’d have clients doing intense physical work, preparing for major film roles, and then spending the next two hours feeling heavy and distended. That’s not a side effect you can train through when you’re on a tight production schedule.
That experience became the design brief for RISE311. We built the formulation around digestion as a performance metric. We use a patent-pending pea protein process that removes anti-nutrient factors, combined with sprouted barley that’s been sprouted over three to four days, essentially pre-digesting the protein before it reaches your system. Then we layered in a protease enzyme blend. Blood tests confirmed higher amino acid levels at both the 30- and 180-minute marks compared to protein without enzymes. If the body can’t break it down cleanly, the macros on the label are just numbers.
Many athletes still associate protein with heaviness or bloating. How does your plant-based protein redefine that narrative from a digestion and absorption standpoint?
That association exists because most proteins earn it. RISE311 was designed to feel invisible in the system.
We pursued a 1.0 PDCAAS. The gold standard for amino acid completeness is the same score as whey, meat, and eggs. That distinction matters more than people realize: every protein contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s the levels of each that determine whether your body uses them immediately or wastes what it can’t match.
Beyond completeness, we focused on removing friction. Our sprouted barley tests at 70% bioavailability. The same as whey in lab settings. The enzyme blend pre-digests the protein when you mix it. No gut drag, no inflammation. When people say, “I don’t feel it sitting in my stomach,” that’s exactly the point. Protein should leave you comfortably full, not feeling like you swallowed a brick.
RISE311 is built on the idea of total performance, fitness, recovery, and nutrition. How do you see digestive health as a foundational part of peak performance?
You can’t separate them. The gut is the gatekeeper for how we feel and how we recover. It’s why the gut-brain axis is becoming a much broader conversation in health, not just gym circles. This goes well beyond building muscle.
When digestion is compromised, recovery is compromised. Hormones, immune response, and sleep quality all trace back. I tell clients: You don’t recover in the gym. You recover through proper digestion and rest. If the gut is inflamed, your body stays defensive. Defense mode isn’t where growth happens. That’s true whether you’re training for a role or trying to keep up with your kids on a Saturday morning.
Can you walk us through the science behind your protein formulation and how specific ingredients were chosen to support gut health and bioavailability?
We started with a clear target: a 1.0 PDCAAS. Most plant proteins score between 0.7 and 0.85, which means 15–30% of the protein you’re consuming isn’t fully utilized. You’re paying for 25 grams, but your body’s only using 18.
We paired USA-grown split yellow pea protein, using a patent-pending method to remove anti-nutrient factors, with USA-grown sprouted barley. Pea is low in methionine and cysteine; barley is low in lysine. Together they hit 1.0. We then added 3 grams of high-quality leucine per serving. The threshold that triggers muscle protein synthesis through the mTOR pathway. Below that 3 grams, you’re leaving results on the table.
The enzyme blend was non-negotiable. Blood tests confirmed higher amino acid absorption at 30 and 180 minutes versus protein without enzymes. We also use Stevia Reb-M exclusively, less than 0.1% of the stevia leaf, for clean sweetness with zero bitter aftertaste. Every ingredient had to justify its presence. No fillers, no pixie dust. If it didn’t improve performance or digestion, it didn’t make the formulation.
You’ve trained some of the most recognizable names in entertainment and sports. How have your celebrity clients responded to cleaner, plant-based nutrition compared to traditional options?
The response is usually relief. I’ve had A-list clients training for major action roles who made RISE311 their go-to because its taste made hitting protein targets easy, not a chore. For clients focused on building mass, the 3 grams of leucine per serving allowed us to drive muscle protein synthesis without the digestive compromise of other options.
But maybe the most telling feedback has come from clients, particularly female clients, who’d struggled with bloating from other proteins for years. When something doesn’t upset your system, isn’t thick enough to chew, and doesn’t leave a chalky aftertaste, you actually stick with it. Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in nutrition. RISE311 earns it by not fighting you.
Performance culture is evolving. How do you think sustainability and conscious ingredient sourcing now play a role in how athletes and high performers fuel their bodies?
Where your ingredients come from determines what ends up in the final product. That’s not an environmental statement; it’s a quality one. We source USA-grown pea and barley specifically because American soil quality results in lower levels of heavy metal contamination. A lot of proteins that market themselves as “premium” source from overseas, and the heavy metal testing tells its own story. RISE311 tests below California Prop 65 limits on every batch, and Prop 65 is the strictest standard anywhere in the world.
Our barley is upcycled. We’re using ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. We ship stainless steel scoops with every first order, and subscribers can get more for free, because we don’t want single-use plastics going out with every pouch. These aren’t sustainability goals. They’re sustainability practices. There’s a difference, and our customers notice it.
On a personal level, has transitioning toward cleaner, plant-based nutrition changed how you feel, train, or recover day to day?
Absolutely. I’m 50 now, and the margin for error is smaller. I wake up ready to go. My joints don’t ache the way they used to. I sleep better. I still train hard, but I recover faster and feel more balanced across the whole day, not just in the hour after a session.
Nutrition at this stage isn’t about restriction. It’s about precision. I want every input working with my physiology, not against it. That’s the core idea behind RISE311: make decisions for longevity without sacrificing performance. For me, that’s not a tagline, it’s how I live.
There’s often a gap between fitness trends and real science. How do you ensure that innovation at RISE311 stays evidence-based rather than trend-driven?
I ask one question: would I give this to my clients under pressure? Not clients with time to experiment, but clients with a start date in six weeks. If the answer’s no, it doesn’t move forward.
We lean on peer-reviewed research and feedback from people who actually train under load. Every batch is third-party tested for heavy metals and microbial contamination using ICP-MS analysis. We’re working on Informed Sport certification, which will soon mean every batch is screened for over 285 banned substances. Trends come and go. Biology doesn’t. If something looks compelling online but fails under real training stress, it’s useless to me.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of performance nutrition, and what do you hope your work contributes to the next generation of athletes and wellness seekers?
I’m excited about intelligence replacing noise. Personalized, honest, functional nutrition. The industry has gotten away with mediocrity for too long. Brands launching shakes with 10–15 grams of protein and 20–30 grams of sugar, then spending millions on influencer marketing to move them. That math doesn’t work for anyone who’s reading labels.
The good news is that consumers are getting smarter. They’re comparing price per gram, asking about sourcing, and checking third-party testing. The more educated the market becomes, the harder it is for brands to do well. That’s a rising tide I want to be part of. If RISE311 helps people stop accepting bloating, fatigue, and confusion as normal side effects of training hard, that’s a win.
What is next for Jason?
More learning, more refining, more coaching. We’re carefully expanding RISE311 with a new shaker and new flavors, and we’re bringing our own creatine to market. But carefully is the key word. Every product has to meet the same standard: would I put my name on it and hand it to a client without hesitation?
The coach continues to coach because that’s where the truth lives. Real feedback, real bodies, real demand. That’s what keeps RISE311 honest, and it’s what I’ll keep doing.
Special Thanks to
Jason Walsh
Photography by Leo Jacob
@popeofthebowery
Editing by Dina Morrone
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