How Fast Is Blood in Aorta?

Blood leaves the heart at about 1 metre per second through the aorta. It slows to just 0.3 mm per second in the capillaries — the slowest flow in your body, where oxygen and nutrients actually diffuse into surrounding tissues.

5 litres of blood circulate through your entire body every minute — every minute of your life.

• Close to walking pace
• Slows 3,000× in the capillaries to enable diffusion